Greenwich, Conn., Town Code ch. 5 § 5-1

Definitions

In Force
Verified 11/11/2026 · Next check 12/11/2026
GreenwichHabitability & Repair

Operative Text

Greenwich, Conn., Town Code ch. 5 § 5-1
(a) As used in this Chapter:
(1) Basement shall mean a portion of the building partly underground which has more than one-half (1/2) its height measured from finished floor to finished ceiling above the average grade of the adjoining ground.
(2) Cellar shall mean a portion of the building partly underground having half or more than half of its clear story height below the average grade of the adjoining ground.
(3) Dwelling shall mean any building which is used for living or sleeping by human occupants, provided that temporary housing shall not be regarded as a dwelling.
(4) Dwelling Unit shall mean a building or a portion of a building arranged for the use of one (1) or more individuals living alone or together as a single housekeeping unit with cooking, living, sanitary and sleeping facilities.
(5) Extermination shall mean the control and elimination of insects, rodents or other pests by eliminating their harborage places; by removing or making inaccessible materials that may serve as their food; by poisoning, spraying, fumigating, trapping; or by any other recognized and legal pest-elimination methods approved by the Director of Health.
(6) Garbage shall mean the animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.
(7) Habitable Room shall mean a room or enclosed floor space in a basement, first or upper story arranged for living, eating or sleeping purposes, not including bath or toilet rooms, laundries, pantries, foyers or communicating corridors or cellar recreation rooms, which is provided with approved means of light and ventilation.
(8) Infestations shall mean the presence, within or around a dwelling, of any insects, rodents or other pests.
(9) Lodging House shall mean any dwelling or that part of any dwelling containing one (1) or more rooming units in which space is let by the owner or operator to five (5) or more persons who are not husband or wife, son or daughter, mother or father, sister or brother or similar relative of the owner or operator.
(10) Multiple Dwelling shall mean any dwelling arranged for more than two (2) dwelling units.
(11) Occupant shall mean any person, living, sleeping, cooking or eating in or having actual possession of a dwelling unit or rooming unit.
(12) Operator shall mean any person who has charge, care or control of a building or part thereof in which dwelling units or rooming units are let.
(13) Ordinary Minimum Winter Conditions shall mean a temperature of fifteen degrees Fahrenheit (15;deg;F.) above the lowest recorded temperature for the previous ten-year period.
(14) Owner shall mean any person who, alone or jointly or severally with others:
(A) Shall have legal title to any dwelling or dwelling unit, with or without accompanying actual possession thereof; or
(B) Shall have charge, care or control of any dwelling or dwelling units, as owner or agent of the owner or as executor, executrix, administrator, administratrix, trustee or guardian of the estate of the owner. Any such person thus representing the actual owner shall be bound to comply with the provisions of this chapter and of rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto to the same extent as if he were the owner.
(15) Plumbing shall mean the following supplied facilities and equipment: gas pipes, gas-burning equipment, water pipes, garbage disposal units, waste pipes, water closets, sinks, installed dishwashers, lavatories, bathtubs, shower baths, installed clothes-washing machines, drains, vents and any other similar supplied fixtures, together with all connections to water, sewer, or gas lines.
(16) Receptacle Outlet shall mean an electrical outlet equipped with one (1) or more receptacles not of the screw-shell type.
(17) Repair shall mean construction work of such magnitude that the dwelling or dwelling unit may not be occupied for normal living purposes for twenty-four (24) or more hours.
(18) Rooming Unit shall mean any room or group of rooms forming a single habitable unit used or intended to be used for living and sleeping, but not for cooking or eating purposes.
(19) Rubbish shall mean combustible and non-combustible waste materials, except garbage. It shall include the residue from the burning of wood, coke, and other combustible material, paper, rags, cartons, boxes, wood, excelsior, rubber, leather, tin cans, metals, mineral matter, glass, crockery, and dust.
(20) Supplied shall mean paid for, furnished, or provided by or under the control of, the owner or operator.
(21) Temporary Housing shall mean any tent, trailer, or other structure used for human shelter which is designed to be transportable and which is not attached to the ground, to another structure, or to any utilities system on the same premises for more than thirty (30) consecutive days.
(b) Whenever the word "dwelling," "dwelling unit," "rooming house," "rooming unit," "premises," are used in this regulation, they shall be construed as though they were followed by the words "or any part thereof." Whenever the masculine pronoun is used it shall also mean the feminine pronoun.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Greenwich Town Code ch. 5 § 5-1 establishes the foundational vocabulary for the town's housing regulations by precisely defining key terms such as "dwelling," "dwelling unit," "owner," "operator," and "occupant," among others. These definitions determine how the rest of Chapter 5's rules are interpreted and applied to residential properties. For example, the section distinguishes between a "basement" and a "cellar" based on how much of the space sits above or below grade, and it clarifies that temporary structures like tents or trailers are not considered dwellings if used for fewer than thirty consecutive days.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on November 11, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers subject to Greenwich Town Code ch. 5 § 5-1 should be aware that the definitions in this section shape their obligations throughout the entire chapter. The term "owner" is defined broadly to include agents, executors, and guardians acting on behalf of a titleholder, meaning that those representatives are bound by the chapter's requirements to the same degree as the actual owner. Operators who have charge or control of a building where dwelling or rooming units are let are similarly covered, so anyone managing a property on another's behalf should understand that these definitions apply to their role.

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

For Tenants

Greenwich Town Code ch. 5 § 5-1 provides the definitional framework that underpins tenant protections found throughout Chapter 5, including what qualifies as a dwelling unit, a rooming unit, or a habitable room. Understanding these definitions can help tenants determine whether their living space falls within the chapter's scope — for instance, whether a below-grade space qualifies as a basement or a cellar may affect what standards apply to it. Tenants who have questions about how these definitions apply to their housing situation may find it useful to consult a local tenant-rights organization or the Greenwich Director of Health's office, which is referenced elsewhere in the chapter.

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

Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

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Related Rules

§ 146-30
Tenement House Operating Fund
§ 22-11-18-5.5
Violation by landlord; offenses
§ 748-38
Recovery of expenses

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