New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 10 - HUMAN SERVICES
Chapter 37A - LICENSED COMMUNITY RESIDENCES FOR ADULTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES
Subchapter 8 - FACILITY
Section 10:37A-8.9 - Structural safety and maintenance

(a) Every foundation, floor, floor covering, wall, ceiling, door, window, roof, or other part of a residence shall be kept clean, in good repair and capable of the use intended by its design, and any exterior part or parts thereof subject to corrosion or deterioration shall be kept well painted.

(b) Every inside and outside stairway, every porch, and every appurtenance thereto shall be so constructed as to be safe to use and capable of supporting the load that normal use may cause to be placed thereon, and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair.

(c) Every stairway having three or more steps shall be properly banistered and safely balustraded.

(d) Every porch, balcony, roof, and similar place higher than 30 inches above the ground, used for egress or for use by consumer residents, shall be provided with adequate railings or parapets which are properly balustraded and be not less than three feet in height.

(e) Every roof, wall, window, exterior door, and hatchway shall be free from holes or leaks that would permit entrance of water within or be a cause of dampness.

(f) Every foundation, floor, and wall of each residence shall be free from chronic dampness that is malodorous in the living environment.

(g) Every residence shall be free from rodents, vermin, and insects. A PA of a residence located in an area found by DOH to be infested by rats, insects, or other vermin shall carry out such rodent and insect control or other means of preventing infestations of said dwellings as may be required by DOH.

(h) Every openable window, exterior door, skylight, and other opening to the outdoors shall be supplied with properly fitting screens in good repair from May 1st until October 1st of each year. Screens shall have a mesh of not less than No. 16.

(i) Every residence, including all exterior areas of the premises, shall be clean and free from garbage or rubbish and hazards to safety.

(j) Lawns, hedges, and bushes shall be kept trimmed and shall not be permitted to become overgrown and unsightly.

(k) Fences shall be kept in good repair.

(l) The ground maintenance shall be consistent with that of the neighborhood, unless the condition of the neighborhood does not generally meet the minimum standards for maintenance set forth at (j) above.

(m) DOH may require that the PA clean, repair, paint, whitewash, or paper such walls or ceiling, when a wall or ceiling within a dwelling has deteriorated so as to provide a harborage for rodents or vermin, or when such a wall or ceiling has become stained or soiled, or the plaster, wallboard, or other covering has become loose or badly cracked or missing.

(n) Every water closet compartment floor and bathroom floor shall be so constructed and maintained as to be reasonably impervious to water and shall be kept in a clean condition.

(o) No PA shall cause or permit any services, facilities, equipment, or utilities that are required under this chapter to be removed from, shut off, or discontinued, in any PA owned, leased, or contracted residence or part thereof, except for such temporary interruption as may be necessary while actual repairs or alterations are in process, or during temporary emergencies, when discontinuance of service is authorized by the Division.

(p) In the event that any service or utility is discontinued in a PA owned, leased or contracted residence, the PA shall take immediate steps to cause the restoration of such service or utility.

(q) All residences must be clean and sanitary prior to occupation by any resident, and shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

(r) The PA shall maintain the PA owned, leased, or contracted premises to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and rules. The storage of objects or materials shall be done in a manner to avoid imminent health, safety, or fire hazards.