Cal. Civ. Code § 13VAC5-63-545

Chapter 7 Fire safety requirements.

In Force
Verified 10/23/2026 · Next check 11/22/2026
effective 10/22/2026VirginiaCO & Smoke AlarmsSpecific Conditions

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 13VAC5-63-545
A. Delete the following sections from Chapter 7 of the IPMC:
1. Section 701.2 Responsibility.
2. Section 703.2 Unsafe conditions.
3. Section 703.7 Vertical shafts.
4. Section 704.1.2 Required fire protection systems.
5. Section 704.1.3 Fire protection systems.
6. Section 704.2.1 Records.
7. Table 704.2 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM MAINTENANCE STANDARDS.
8. Section 704.2.2 Records information.
9. Section 704.3.1 Emergency impairments.
10. Section 704.4 Removal of or tampering with equipment.
11. Section 704.4.1 Removal of or tampering with appurtenances.
12. Section 704.4.2 Removal of existing occupant hose lines.
13. Section 704.4.3 Termination of monitoring service.
14. Section 704.5.2 Clear space around connections.
15. Section 704.6.1 Where required.
16. Section 704.6.1.1 Group R-1.
17. Section 704.6.1.2 Groups R-2, R-3, R-4, and I-1.
18. Section 704.6.1.3 Installation near cooking appliances.
19. Section 704.6.1.4 Installation near bathrooms.
20. Section 704.6.2 Interconnection.
21. Section 704.6.3 Power source.
22. Section 704.6.4 Smoke detection system.
23. Section 704.7 Single-station and multiple-station smoke alarms.
24. Section 705.1 General.
B. Change the following sections in Chapter 7 of the IPMC:
1. Section 701.1 General. The provisions of this chapter shall govern the maintenance of fire safety facilities and equipment.
2. Section 702.1 General. The means of egress system shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable building code and Chapter 10 of the SFPC to provide a safe, continuous, and unobstructed path of travel from any point in a building or structure to the public way.
3. Section 702.2 Aisles. The required width of aisles shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable building code.
4. Section 702.3 Doors. Means of egress doors shall be maintained and to the extent required by the code in effect at the time of construction, shall be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge, or effort.
5. Section 702.4 Emergency escape and rescue openings. Required emergency escape and rescue openings shall be maintained in accordance with the code in effect at the time of construction and to the extent required by the code in effect at the time of construction shall be operational from the inside of the room without the use of keys or tools. Bars, grilles, grates, or similar devices are permitted to be placed over emergency escape and rescue openings provided the minimum net clear opening size complies with the code that was in effect at the time of construction, and such devices shall be releasable or removable from the inside without the use of a key, tool, or force greater than that which is required for normal operation of the escape and rescue opening.
6. Section 703.3 Maintenance. The required fire-resistance rating of fire-resistance-rated construction, including walls, firestops, shaft enclosures, partitions, smoke barriers, floors, fire-resistive coatings and sprayed fire-resistant materials applied to structural members, and joint systems, shall be maintained. Such elements shall be visually inspected annually by the owner and maintained as constructed in accordance with the applicable building code. Records of inspections and repairs shall be maintained. Where concealed, such elements shall not be required to be visually inspected by the owner unless the concealed space is accessible by the removal or movement of a panel, access door, ceiling tile, or entry to the space.
7. Section 703.8 Opening protective closers. Where openings are required to be protected, opening protectives shall be maintained self-closing or automatic-closing by smoke detection.
8. Section 704.1 General. Systems, devices, and equipment to detect a fire, actuate an alarm, or suppress or control a fire or any combination thereof shall be maintained in an operable condition at all times.
9. Section 704.1.1 Maintenance. Fire protection systems shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable building code and the Statewide Fire Prevention Code.
10. Section 704.2 Records. Inspection, testing, and maintenance records shall be maintained in accordance with the Statewide Fire Prevention Code.
11. Section 704.3 Systems out of service. Where a required fire protection system is taken out of service, it shall be taken out of service in accordance with the Statewide Fire Prevention Code, and the fire department and the fire code official shall be notified immediately.
12. Section 704.5 Fire department connection access. Ready access to fire department connections shall be maintained at all times.
13. Section 704.5.1 Clear space around connections. A working space of not less than 36 inches (914 mm) in width, 36 inches (914 mm) in depth, and 78 inches (1981 mm) in height shall be maintained in front of and to the sides of wall-mounted fire department connections and around the circumference of free-standing fire department connections.
14. Section 704.6 Single-station and multiple-station smoke alarms. Required or provided single-station and multiple-station smoke alarms shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable building code.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Section 13VAC5-63-545 modifies Virginia's application of Chapter 7 of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) by deleting certain sections outright and replacing others with Virginia-specific language. The revised chapter governs how fire safety systems, egress paths, fire-resistance-rated construction, and smoke alarms must be kept in working order in existing buildings. Rather than following the IPMC's default fire safety text, Virginia properties are subject to this tailored set of maintenance standards, which frequently cross-reference the applicable building code and the Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC).

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 22, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers operating under 13VAC5-63-545 generally keep all means of egress—aisles, doors, and emergency escape openings—clear, unobstructed, and functional in accordance with the code in effect at the time of construction. Compliant operators conduct annual visual inspections of fire-resistance-rated construction elements, maintain written records of those inspections and any repairs, and ensure fire protection systems remain operable at all times; when a system must be taken out of service, they notify the fire department and fire code official immediately. Fire department connections must be kept readily accessible with the required clear working space, and smoke alarms must be maintained in accordance with the applicable building code.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Under 13VAC5-63-545, tenants in Virginia residential properties have an interest in knowing that their building's fire safety features—egress doors, emergency escape openings, fire-resistance-rated walls and floors, fire protection systems, and smoke alarms—are required to be kept in proper working condition by the property owner. If a tenant observes conditions that appear to fall short of these standards, such as blocked exits, inoperable smoke alarms, or obstructed fire department connections, they may report concerns to the local building or fire code official responsible for enforcing the Statewide Fire Prevention Code. Tenant-rights organizations can help residents understand what documentation or inspection records owners are required to maintain and what options exist for raising a fire safety concern.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 22, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 26C
Certain public accommodations; automatic smoke or heat detectors
§ 26D
Definitions applicable to Secs. 26D to 26F
§ 26E
Residential buildings or structures; installation of smoke detectors

Source Information

Snapshot SHA:
Fetched:Oct 23, 2026, 10:51 AM UTC