Watervliet, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 176 § 176-15
Responsibilities of owners and occupants
Operative Text
A. Responsibilities of owners. (1) Owners of premises shall be responsible for compliance with this chapter and shall remain responsible thereof regardless of the fact that this chapter may also place certain responsibilities on operators and occupants and regardless of any agreements between owners and operators or occupants as to which party shall assume such responsibility. (2) Owners of premises shall be responsible for proper maintenance, conditions and operation of service facilities and for furnishing adequate heat and hot water supply in multiple dwellings. B. Responsibilities of occupants. Occupants of dwelling units shall be responsible for compliance with this chapter in regard to the following: (1) Limiting occupancy of that part of the premises which he occupies or controls to the maximum permitted by this chapter. (2) Maintenance of that part of the premises which he occupies or controls in a clean, sanitary and safe condition. (3) Maintenance of all plumbing, cooking and refrigeration fixtures and appliances, as well as other building equipment and storage facilities, in that part of the premises which he occupies or controls in a clean and sanitary condition and providing reasonable care in the operation and use thereof. (4) Keeping exits from his dwelling unit clear and unencumbered. (5) Disposal of garbage and refuse into provided facilities in a clean and sanitary manner. (6) Extermination of insects, rodents or other pests within his dwelling unit, if his unit is the only one infested in the premises. (7) Keeping his domestic animals and pets in an appropriate manner and under control.
Watervliet, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 176 § 176-15 establishes a dual-responsibility framework for housing compliance. Property owners bear overarching responsibility for the premises—including service facilities, heat, and hot water in multi-unit buildings—regardless of any private agreements that might shift those duties to operators or tenants. Occupants, in turn, carry responsibility for the portions of the property they control, covering matters such as cleanliness, safe exits, pest control in solely infested units, garbage disposal, and proper care of plumbing and appliances.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 176-15, owners of Watervliet premises remain the primary party accountable for chapter-wide compliance, even when lease agreements or management contracts delegate day-to-day duties to operators or tenants. Compliant operators generally ensure that service facilities are properly maintained and that adequate heat and hot water are consistently supplied to all dwelling units in multiple dwellings. Because § 176-15 explicitly states that private agreements do not relieve owners of their obligations, property managers typically document maintenance practices and service-facility conditions as a matter of routine operations.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 176-15 of Watervliet's Code of Ordinances outlines specific responsibilities that occupants carry for the portions of a dwelling they occupy or control, including maintaining cleanliness, keeping exits clear, disposing of refuse properly, and handling pest extermination when only their unit is affected. Tenants who believe an owner is failing to meet the owner-side obligations under § 176-15—such as providing adequate heat, hot water, or properly maintained service facilities—may have grounds to raise those failures as a concern with local code enforcement or housing authorities. Tenant-rights organizations can help occupants understand how the shared-responsibility structure of § 176-15 applies to their circumstances and what general enforcement paths may be 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 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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