Ordinance No. 083 Housing Maintenance Code

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in a safe, sound and working condition. 9. Grading and Drainage. During the period May through October, every yard, court, passageway, and other portions in the premises on which a dwelling stands\ shall be graded and drained so as to be free of standing water that constitutes a detriment to health and safety. 10. Yard Cover. Every yard of a premises on which a dwelling stands shall be provided with lawn or combined ground cover of vegetation, garden, hedges, shrubbery, and related decorative materials and such yard shall be maintained consistent with prevailing community standards. 11. Discontinuance of Service or Facilities. No owner, operator, or occupant shall cause any service, facility, equipment or utility which is required under this Ordinance, to be removed from or shut off from or discontinued for any occupied dwelling or dwelling unit let or occupied by him, except for such temporary interruptions as may be necessary while actual repairs or alterations are in process, or during temporary emergencies. Section 9. Maximum Density, Minimum Space, Use and Location Requirements. No person shall occupy nor permit or let to be occupied any dwelling or dwelling unit for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements: 1. Permissible Occupancy of Dwelling Unit. With the exception of owners occupying a respective dwelling unit prior to June 1, 1975, the maximum permissible occupancy of any dwelling unit shall be determined as follows: 1. For the first occupant, 150 square feet of habitable room floor space and for every additional occupant thereof, at least 100 square feet of habitable room floor space. 2. In no event shall the total number of occupants exceed 2 times the number of habitable rooms, less kitchen, in the dwelling unit. 2. Maximum Occupancy. Not more than one family, except for temporary guests, shall occupy a dwelling unit. The maximum occupancy of any house in Gem Lake is determined by the number of bedrooms. Each bedroom can be occupied by two adults or three children. 3. Minimum Ceiling Height. In order to qualify as habitable, rooms shall have a clear ceiling height of not less than 7 feet, 6 inches, except that in attics or top -half -stores used for sleeping, study, or similar activities, the ceiling height shall be not less than 7 feet, 6 inches over at least 40% of the floor area. In calculating the floor area of such rooms in attics or top -half -stores, only those portions of the floor area in the room having a clear ceiling height of 5 feet or more may be included. 4. Access through Sleeping Rooms and Bathrooms. No dwelling unit built after 1940 and containing two or more sleeping rooms shall have a room arrangement such that access to a bathroom or water closet compartment intended for use by occupants of more than one sleeping room can be gained only by going through another sleeping room, nor shall the room arrangement be such that access to a sleeping room can be gained only by going through another sleeping room. A bathroom or water closet compartment shall not be used as the only passageway to any habitable room, hall, basement or cellar or to the exterior of any dwelling unit. Section 10. Licensing of Rental Units. From and after January 1, 2008, no person shall operate a rental dwelling without first having obtained a license to do so from the City of Gem Lake as hereinafter provided. The license shall be issued for a period of one (1) calendar year. Licenses which have less than one (1) year remaining on this term shall pay one half of the license fee. 1. License Fees. Fees for rental unit licenses shall be as set forth by the City Council in a fee schedule, which the Council shall pass by ordinance from time to time. The fees shall be due 60 days prior to the license expiration date; in the cases of new unlicensed dwellings, license fees shall be due upon issuance of the Ordinance No. 83 Housing Maintenance Code Page 9 of 15