Cal. Civ. Code § 10
Time for compliance
Operative Text
§ 10. Time for compliance. All alterations required by this chapter upon dwellings erected before its adoption by or application to any city, town or village, in whole or in part, shall, unless specifically provided otherwise in this chapter, be made not later than five years after such adoption or application, or at such earlier date as may be deemed necessary by the department in order to remove a condition dangerous or detrimental to life or health.
N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 10 establishes a compliance window for buildings that existed before the Multiple Dwelling Law was adopted or applied to a given municipality. Unless the law specifies a different deadline elsewhere, owners of such pre-existing dwellings generally have up to five years from the date of adoption or application to complete any required alterations. However, that window can be shortened if the relevant department determines that a condition poses a danger to life or health, in which case an earlier deadline may be imposed.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 10, operators of dwellings built before the law took effect in their city, town, or village should be aware that the default five-year compliance period is not unconditional — the department retains authority to accelerate that timeline when a hazardous condition is identified. Compliant operators typically audit their properties against the chapter's alteration requirements early, track any department notices that may impose an earlier deadline, and prioritize remediation of conditions flagged as dangerous or detrimental to life or health. Keeping thorough records of completed alterations and correspondence with the department is a practice commonly associated with maintaining compliance under this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 10 means that even buildings predating the law's local adoption are not exempt from its alteration requirements — they are simply given a defined period to come into compliance, which can be cut short when health or safety is at risk. Tenants who believe a required alteration has not been made within the applicable timeframe, or that a dangerous condition warrants an accelerated deadline, may consider documenting the condition and reporting it to the relevant local housing or building department. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help residents understand how § 10 interacts with other provisions and what complaint or enforcement options 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 September 13, 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
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.