TITLE 4. THE PHILADELPHIA BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND OCCUPANCY CODE
SUBCODE "PM" (THE PHILADELPHIA PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE)
SECTION PM-404.0 SPACE AND USE
PM-404.1 Arrangement: Dwelling units, rooming units,
dormitory units and hotel units shall be arranged to provide privacy and be
separate from other adjoining spaces. Units which are constructed, altered or
otherwise newly established shall comply with the requirements of Sections
PM-404.1.1 and PM-404.1.2.
PM-404.1.1 Sleeping rooms: Sleeping rooms
shall be arranged so that a person is not required to pass through one sleeping
room to reach another.
PM-404.1.2 Toilet facilities: Sleeping rooms
shall be arranged so that each sleeping room has access to a water closet and
lavatory without being required to pass through another sleeping
room.
PM-404.2 Floor area: Every dwelling unit, rooming unit, dormitory
unit and hotel unit shall comply with the minimum floor area requirements of
Table PM-404.2. Floor area shall be calculated on the basis of habitable room
area, however, closets and halls within the dwelling unit shall be permitted to
comprise a maximum of ten percent of the required minimum habitable floor
area.
PM-404.2.1 Combined spaces: Combined spaces shall be deemed to
comply with the requirements of Table PM-404.2 if the total area if the combined
spaces is equal to that required for separate rooms.
PM-404.3 Sleeping
prohibited: Kitchens, nonhabitable spaces and interior public areas shall not be
occupied for sleeping purposes.
Exception: This provision, as it pertains
to kitchens, shall not apply to single space efficiency apartment units which
otherwise comply with this code.
PM-404.4 Minimum dimensions: A habitable
room, other than a kitchen, shall not be less than seven feet (2133 mm) in any
plan dimension. Kitchens shall have a clear passageway of not less than three
feet (914 mm) between counterfronts and appliances or counterfronts and
walls.
PM-404.5 Minimum ceiling heights: Habitable spaces, hallways,
corridors, laundry areas, bathrooms, toilet rooms and kitchens shall have a
clear ceiling height of not less than seven feet (2134
mm).
Table PM-404.2
Occupancy Area Requirements
|
No. of Occupants
|
Minimum Area Requirements in Square Feetab
|
|
Total for Dwelling Unit
|
Living Room
|
Dining Room
|
Kitchen
|
Sleeping Roomc
|
|
1
|
150
|
N/R
|
N/R
|
50
|
70
|
|
2
|
250
|
N/R
|
N/R
|
50
|
100
|
|
3
|
350
|
120
|
80
|
50
|
150
|
|
4
|
450
|
120
|
80
|
50
|
200
|
|
5
|
525
|
120
|
80
|
50
|
250
|
|
6
|
600
|
150
|
100
|
60
|
300
|
|
More than 6
|
600 + 75 per each add'l person
|
150
|
100
|
60
|
300 + 50 for each add'l person
|
|
Note a. 1 square foot = 0.093 m2. Note b. For combined
spaces see Section PM-404.2.1. Note c. For prohibited sleeping spaces see
Section PM-404.3.
|
Exceptions:
1. Beams or girders spaced not
less than four feet (1219 mm) on center and projecting below the ceiling,
provided that the minimum clear height is not less than six feet eight inches
(2033 mm).
2. Dropped or furred ceilings over not more than one-half of
the minimum floor area required by this code, provided that no part of such
dropped or furred ceiling is less than six feet eight inches (2033 mm) in
height.
3. Rooms occupied exclusively for sleeping, study or similar
purposes and having a sloped ceiling over all or part of the room, with a clear
ceiling height of at least seven feet (2134 mm) over not less than one-third of
the required minimum floor area. In calculating the floor area of such rooms,
only those portions of the floor area with a clear ceiling height of five feet
(1524 mm) or more shall be included.
4. Basement rooms in one- and
two-family dwellings occupied exclusively for laundry, study or recreation
purposes, having a ceiling height of not less than six feet eight inches (2033
mm) with not less than six feet four inches (1932 mm) of clear height under
beams, girders, ducts and similar obstructions.
PM-404.6 Basements: No
basement shall be used for habitable space, except kitchens, unless the floors
and walls are substantially watertight and the space complies with this code in
all other respects.