Cloquet, Minn., City Code ch. 10 §§ 10.3, 10.7 (2026) § 10.3.02
Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly
Operative Text
10.3.02 Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly
indicates or requires a different meaning.
Subd. 1. Approved as applied to a material, device, or method of construction shall mean approved by the
building official under the provisions of this code, or approved by other authority designated by law to give
approval in the matter in question.
Subd. 2. Basement. A portion of the building partly underground but having less than half its clear height
below average grade of the adjoining ground. (See cellars)
Subd. 3. Building Code. City ordinances as may be officially designated by the legislative body of the
municipality for the regulation of construction, alteration, addition, repair, removal, demolition, use,
location, occupancy and maintenance of buildings and structures.
Subd. 4. Building Official. The official designated by the municipality to enforce building, zoning or
similar laws and this code, or his/her duly authorized representative.
Subd. 5. Cellar. The portion of the building partly underground, having half or more than half of its clear
height below the average grade of the adjoining ground.
Subd. 6. Dwellings.
1. One-family dwelling. A building containing one dwelling unit with not more than five
(5) lodgers or boarders.
2. Two-family dwelling. A building containing two (2) dwelling units with not more than
five (5) lodgers or boarders per family, but not more than twenty (20) individuals.
3. Multi-family apartment house. A building containing more than two (2) dwelling units.
4. Boarding house, lodging house, tourist house. A building arranged or used for lodging
with or without meals, for compensation, more than five (5) and not more than twenty
(20) individuals.
5. Dormitory. A building arranged or used for lodging six (6) but not more than twenty
(20) individuals and having common toilet and bathroom facilities.
6. Hotel. A building arranged or used for sheltering, sleeping, or feeding for compensation
of more than twenty (20) individuals.
Subd. 7. Dwelling unit. One or more rooms arranged for the use of one (1) or more individuals living
together as a single house-keeping unit, with cooking, living sanitary and sleeping facilities.
Subd. 8. Enforcement Officer. The official designated herein or otherwise charged with the
responsibilities of administering this code or his/her authorized representatives.
Subd. 9. Exterior Property Areas. The open space on the premises and on adjoining property under the
control of owners or operators of such premises.
Subd. 10. Extermination. 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
poison spraying, fumigating, trapping, or by any other approved pest elimination methods.
Subd. 11. Family. A group of persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption within and including the
degree of first cousins.
Subd. 12. Garbage. The animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking
and consumption of food.
Subd. 13. Gross Floor Area. The total area of all habitable space in a building or structure.
Subd. 14. Habitable Room. A room, or enclosed floor space arranged for living, eating, and sleeping
purposes (not including bathrooms, water closet compartment, laundries, pantries, foyers, hallways and
other accessory floor spaces.)
Subd. 15. Infestation. The presence, within or contiguous to a multi-family dwelling, dwelling unit,
rooming house, rooming unit, or premises, of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests.
Subd. 16. Motel. For purposes of this code a motel shall be defined the same as a hotel.
Subd. 17. Occupant. Any person over one year of age (including owner or operator) living and sleeping
in a dwelling unit or having actual possession of said dwelling or rooming unit.
Subd. 18. Openable Area. That part of a window or door which is available for unobstructed ventilation
and which opens directly to the outdoors.
Subd. 19. Operator. Any person who has charge, care or control of a multi-family dwelling or rooming
house, in which dwelling units or rooming units are let or offered for occupancy.
Subd. 20. Owner. The owner or owners of the freehold of the premises or lesser estate therein, a
mortgagee or vendee in possessions, assignee of rents, receiver, executor, trustee, lessee or other person,
firm or corporation in control of a building; or their duly authorized agents.
Subd. 21. Person. An individual, firm, corporation, association or partnership.
Subd. 22. Plumbing or Plumbing Fixtures. Water heating facilities, water pipes, gas pipes, garbage and
disposal units, waste lavatories, bathtubs, shower baths, installed clothes washing machines, or other
similar equipment, catch basins, drains, vents, or other similarly supplied fixtures, together with all
connections to water, gas, sewer , or vent lines.
Subd. 23. Residence Building. A building in which sleeping accommodations or sleeping
accommodations and cooking facilities as a unit are provided; except when classified as an institution under
the building code.
Subd. 24. Rooming House. Any residence building, or any part thereof containing one or more rooming
units, in which space is let by the owner or operator to more than five (5) persons who are not members of
the family. (See dwellings -boarding houses)
Subd. 25. Rooming Unit. 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.
Subd. 26. Rubbish. Combustible and non-combustible waste materials, except garbage; and the term
shall include the residue from the burning of wood, coal, coke and other combustible materials, paper, rags,
cartoons, boxes, wood, excelsior, rubber, leather, tree branches, yard trimmings, tin cans, metals, mineral
matter, glass, crockery and dust and other similar material.
Subd. 27. Supplied. Installed, furnished or provided by the owner or operator.
Subd. 28. Ventilation. The process of supplying and removing air by natural or mechanical means to or
from any space.
1. Mechanical: Ventilation by power driven devices.
2. Natural: Ventilation by opening to outer air through windows, skylights, doors,
louvers, or stacks without wind driven devices.
Subd. 29. Workmanlike. Whenever the words “workmanlike, state of maintenance and repair” are used
in this code, they shall mean that such maintenance and repair shall be made in a reasonable skillful
manner.
Subd. 30. Yard. An open unoccupied space on the same lot with a building extending along the entire
length of a street, or rear, or interior lot line.
Subd. 31. Whenever the words “multi-family dwelling”, “residence building”, “dwelling unit”, “rooming
house”, “rooming unit”, or “premises” are used in this code they shall be construed as though they were
followed by the words “or any part thereof”.Section 10.3.02 of Cloquet's Housing Code establishes the foundational vocabulary used throughout Chapter 10's housing and rental regulations. It defines key terms — such as "dwelling unit," "habitable room," "operator," "owner," and various building types — so that the rest of the code's requirements can be applied consistently. These definitions set the scope of who and what is covered, for example clarifying the difference between a basement and a cellar, or distinguishing a one-family dwelling from a rooming house. Understanding these terms is essential context for interpreting any other provision in Chapter 10.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and operators subject to Cloquet City Code Ch. 10 § 10.3.02 are well served by familiarizing themselves with how the code defines their roles: "owner" and "operator" carry distinct meanings, and compliance obligations can attach to either or both depending on who holds charge or control of a property. Compliant operators generally ensure that the type of building they manage — whether a multi-family apartment house, rooming house, or boarding house — matches the applicable definitions, since those classifications determine which substantive standards apply. Keeping records that accurately reflect occupancy type and building use helps demonstrate alignment with the definitions established in § 10.3.02.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
For tenants, § 10.3.02 provides the definitional foundation that shapes what protections and standards apply to their living situation under Cloquet's Housing Code. For instance, whether a space qualifies as a "habitable room" or a "dwelling unit" under this section affects which maintenance and habitability requirements a landlord must meet. Tenants who believe their unit or building has been miscategorized — or that conditions fall short of what the code requires — can raise concerns with the city's designated Enforcement Officer or consult a local tenant-rights organization for guidance on next steps.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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