A Good Place to Live

Other rooms that are lived in include: bedrooms, dens, halls, and finished basements or enclosed, heated porches. The requirements for other rooms that are lived in are similar to the requirements for the living room as explained below.

Other Rooms Used for Living Must Have:

Ceiling
A ceiling that is in good condition.

* NOT acceptable are large cracks or holes that allow drafts, severe bulging, large amounts of loose or falling surface materials such as plaster.

Walls
Walls that are in good condition.

* NOT acceptable are large cracks or holes that allow drafts, severe bulging or leaning, large amounts of loose or falling surface material such as plaster.

Paint
* Minimal peeling or chipping paint if you have children under the age of six and the house or apartment was built before 1978.

Electricity in the Bedrooms
Same requirement as for living room.

Floor
A floor that is in good condition.

* NOT acceptable are large cracks or holes, missing or warped floor boards or covering that could cause someone to trip.

Lock
A lock that works on all windows and doors that can be reached from the outside, a common public hallway, a fire escape, porch or other outside place that can be reached from the ground. A window that cannot be opened is acceptable.

Window
At least one window, which must be openable if it was designed to opened, in every room used for sleeping. Every window must be in good condition.

* NOT acceptable are windows with badly cracked, broken or missing panes, and windows that do not shut or when shut, do not keep out the weather.

Other rooms that are not lived in may be: a utility room for washer and dryer, basement, or porch. These must be checked for security and electrical hazards and other possible dangers (such as walls or ceilings in danger of falling), since these items are important for the safety of your entire apartment. You should also look for other possible dangers such as large holes in the walls, floors, or ceilings, and unsafe stairways. Make sure to look for these things in all other rooms not lived in.

You Should Also Think About:
* What you would like to do with the other rooms.
--- Can you use them the way you want to?
* The types of locks on windows and doors.
--- Are they safe and secure?
--- Have windows that you might like to open been nailed shut?
* The condition of the windows.
--- Are there small cracks in the panes?
* The amount of weatherization around doors and windows?
--- Are there storm windows?
--- Is there weatherstripping? If you pay your own utilities, this may be important.
* The location of electric outlets and light fixtures.
* The condition of paint and wallpaper.
--- Are they worn, faded, or dirty?
* The condition of the floors.
--- Are they scratched and worn?