Mount Carmel — Ch. 12 Housing § 12-66
Window or skylight required; minimum area
Operative Text
Every habitable room shall have at least one window or skylight facing directly to the outdoors. The minimum total window area for every habitable room shall be at least 10 per cent of the floor area of such room. Whenever walls or other portions of structures are located less than three feet from the window and extend to a level above that of the ceiling of the room, such a window shall not be deemed to face directly to the outdoors and shall not be included as contributing to the minimum total window area. Whenever the only window is the skylight type window in the top of such room, the total window area of such skylight shall equal at least 12½ per cent of the total floor area of the room.
Mount Carmel Ch. 12 Housing § 12-66 establishes minimum natural light standards for every habitable room. Each such room must have at least one window or skylight that opens directly to the outdoors, with total glazing covering no less than 10 percent of the room's floor area—or 12.5 percent if the only opening is a skylight in the ceiling. Windows blocked by walls or structures within three feet that rise above the ceiling line do not count toward this minimum, as they are not considered to face directly outdoors.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Mount Carmel Ch. 12 Housing § 12-66, operators of residential properties generally ensure that every habitable room contains qualifying window or skylight area before a unit is offered for occupancy. Compliant operators verify that no window is obstructed by a wall or adjacent structure within three feet that rises above the ceiling, since such windows are excluded from the required area calculation. When a room relies solely on a ceiling skylight, operators confirm that the skylight's glazing area meets the higher 12.5 percent floor-area threshold rather than the standard 10 percent requirement.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Mount Carmel Ch. 12 Housing § 12-66 gives occupants of habitable rooms the right to adequate natural light through properly sized and unobstructed windows or skylights. If a room appears to lack sufficient window area—or if a window is blocked by a nearby wall that rises above the ceiling—this provision may be relevant to a housing code complaint filed with the local code enforcement or housing authority. Tenants who believe their unit does not meet these standards may also consult a tenant-rights organization to understand what documentation and reporting options are generally available.
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 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation