Glen Cove, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 168 § 168-36
Electrical
Operative Text
A. General. (1) Electrical system shall be properly installed, connected to an approved source of supply and maintained free of hazards. (2) Electrical wiring and equipment shall be firmly secured to the surface on which it is mounted. (3) Electrical wiring and equipment in damp or wet locations, or exposed to explosive or flammable gases or excessive temperatures, shall be of an approved type for the purpose and location. (4) Electrical wiring and equipment shall be protected against excessive current by approved, properly rated overcurrent protection devices. Overcurrent protection devices, of ratings higher than the ampacities of the conductors to be protected, shall not be used, except where expressly permitted by generally accepted standards. Where a circuit has been overfused, the Edison-base plug fuse shall be replaced with a Type S plug fuse, of the proper rating, with a suitable fuse adapter. (5) Electrical service equipment and overcurrent protection devices shall be installed in a readily accessible location, and access to such location shall be kept unobstructed. (6) Electrical equipment shall be grounded or otherwise protected by insulation, isolation or guarding. (7) Parts of electrical equipment, which in ordinary operation produce arcs or sparks, shall be enclosed, unless separated and isolated from combustible material. (8) Flexible cord shall not be run through holes in walls, ceilings or floors; run through doorways, windows or similar openings; attached to building surfaces; or concealed behind building walls, or above ceilings, or under floors or floor coverings. B. Facilities. (1) A dwelling unit shall be supplied with at least one 15 ampere lighting branch circuit for each multiple of 400 square feet of floor area, or fraction thereof. (2) Hotel units, lodging units and dormitory units shall be supplied with at least one 15 ampere lighting branch circuit for each multiple of 600 square feet of cumulative floor area, or fraction thereof. (3) Habitable spaces, except kitchens, shall be provided with at least one receptacle outlet for each multiple of 20 feet, or fraction thereof, or the total distance around the room, measured horizontally along the wall at the floor line. An electric light outlet and fixture may be substituted for only one receptacle outlet. (4) Kitchens and kitchenettes shall be provided with at least two receptacle outlets served by at least one 15 ampere small appliance branch circuit. In addition, one electric light outlet and fixture shall be provided. (5) Bathrooms, toilet rooms and laundry rooms shall be provided with at least one electric light outlet and fixture and one receptacle outlet. Furnace rooms, storage rooms, workshops and similar service rooms shall be provided with at least one electric light outlet and fixture. (6) Light switches or other devices for controlling lights which illuminate entrances shall be provided at points of entrance to dwelling units, hotel units, lodging units and dormitory units. (7) Utility meters. (a) No utility meter (gas meter or electric meter) shall be installed in residential premises without notifying and then obtaining the approval of the Building Department Administrator of the City of Glen Cove. (b) All property owners, lessors, lessees, tenants or occupants of residential premises who require the installation of a utility meter must submit, prior to installation of said meter, an application to the Building Department Administrator on a form approved by the Building Department. (c) Upon the filing of a utility meter application as set forth in Subsection B(7)(b) above, the Building Department Administrator and his or her subordinates will have all the authority conferred upon them as would ordinarily be granted to them by the filing of a building permit as set forth in the Code of the City of Glen Cove. (d) The Building Department Administrator of the City of Glen Cove shall approve only one set of utility meters (gas and electric) for a one-family dwelling, two sets for a two-family dwelling and a number equal to the number of legal families allowed in a multiple dwelling. C. Exit and directional signs. (1) Exits in multiple dwellings shall be provided with exit and directional signs, visible from the approach to the exits, except that such signs shall not be required in an apartment house or in those portions of a multiple dwelling where exit from dwelling units, hotel units, lodging units or dormitory units is directly to the outside. (2) Directional signs shall be provided at locations from which the exit doorway is not readily discernible. (3) Signs shall be worded in plainly legible block letters with the word EXIT for exit signs and the words TO EXIT with a suitable pointer or arrow indicating the direction of exit for directional signs. (4) Any door, passageway, stair or other means of communication that is not an exit, or that is not a way to an exit, but is so located as to be mistaken for an exit, shall be identified with a sign reading NOT AN EXIT, or identified by a sign indicating its use or purpose, or provided with a directional sign. (5) Letters for signs shall be conspicuous, readily discernible and at least eight inches high, except that for internally illuminated signs the height of such letters shall be at least 4 1/2 inches. (6) Signs shall be illuminated either externally or internally by electric lights and be kept illuminated at all times when the building is occupied. Such electric lights shall be supplied with current from a separate circuit, or circuits which supply no other outlets. D. Overhead conductors. (1) Overhead electrical conductors, rated 600 volts or less, shall clear on-premises areas as follows: Location Clearance (feet) Above streets, driveways, parking spaces and other use areas where motor vehicles are permitted 18 Above areas accessible to pedestrians only 10 Above buildings and structures 8 Horizontal clearance from any window, door, porch, balcony or other similar point of access 6 Horizontal clearance from the periphery of any swimming pool 15 (2) Metal fences, enclosures or railings which enclose a swimming pool, and which could become energized through accidental contact with overhead electrical conductors, shall be properly grounded.
Section 168-36 of Glen Cove, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 168 establishes comprehensive electrical standards for residential dwellings, covering everything from safe wiring installation and overcurrent protection to minimum lighting circuits, receptacle outlets, exit signage, and overhead conductor clearances. The provision also requires that no utility meter be installed in residential premises without prior approval from the City of Glen Cove Building Department Administrator, and it limits the number of approved meter sets to match the legal number of dwelling units. Flexible cords, overfused circuits, and improperly grounded equipment are among the specific hazards the rule prohibits, while exit signs in multiple dwellings must remain illuminated at all times the building is occupied.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of residential properties in Glen Cove generally ensure that all electrical systems covered by § 168-36 are professionally installed, properly grounded, and maintained free of hazards, with overcurrent protection devices rated appropriately for the conductors they protect. Compliant property managers keep electrical service panels and overcurrent devices in accessible, unobstructed locations, provide the minimum required lighting circuits and receptacle outlets for each type of space, and maintain illuminated exit and directional signage in multiple dwellings at all times. Before installing any gas or electric utility meter, compliant operators submit the required application to the Building Department Administrator and obtain approval, ensuring the number of meter sets does not exceed what § 168-36 permits for the legal number of dwelling units.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 168-36 of Glen Cove's Code of Ordinances, tenants in residential dwellings are entitled to electrical systems that are safely installed, properly grounded, and equipped with adequate lighting circuits and receptacle outlets for each type of room, including kitchens, bathrooms, and habitable spaces. If a tenant observes conditions such as exposed wiring, blocked electrical panels, missing exit signs, or an improperly installed utility meter, these may constitute violations of § 168-36 that can be reported to the City of Glen Cove Building Department. Tenants may also wish to contact a local tenant-rights organization to understand how documented electrical deficiencies can be raised in housing proceedings or other enforcement contexts.
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 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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