Cal. Civ. Code § 144
Egress from dwellings
Operative Text
§ 144. Egress from dwellings. 1. A dwelling three or more stories in height shall have at least two means of egress extending to the roof from an entrance story, street, court or yard. The entrances to such means of egress at every story shall be at least fifteen feet distant from each other unless they are on opposite sides of a public hall. One means of egress shall be a stair constructed as provided in section one hundred forty-eight. The other means of egress shall be either another such stair or a fire-escape constructed as provided in section fifty-three. 2. If the number of living rooms on any story, or in any section of any story, above the entrance story exceeds twenty, there shall be an additional stair, or fire-stair, extending from the entrance story to the roof for each twenty rooms or fraction thereof on such story or section thereof in excess of twenty, except that no additional stair, or fire-stair, shall be required for such excess on any story or section thereof if the number of living rooms thereon does not exceed thirty and if in addition one stair serving such story or section and every entrance hall or other public hall connected therewith are everywhere four feet six inchs or more in clear width. 3. There shall be accessible from every apartment two means of egress from the dwelling, one of which shall be a stair within fifty feet from a means of egress from such apartment. For such dwellings erected under plans filed in the department after September first, nineteen hundred fifty-one, such stair shall also be enclosed and comply with the provisions of section one hundred forty-eight. 4. Whenever more than two stairs are required, one or more of such stairs may be fire-stairs or fire-towers, provided that there shall never be more than one such fire-stair or fire-tower for each two other required stairs.
New York Multiple Dwelling Law § 144 establishes minimum egress requirements for multi-story residential buildings. Any dwelling three or more stories tall must have at least two separate means of egress—such as stairs or fire-escapes—running from the entrance level to the roof, with their entrances spaced at least fifteen feet apart unless positioned on opposite sides of a public hall. When a story contains more than twenty living rooms, additional stairs or fire-stairs are required, scaling with room count. Every apartment must have access to two means of egress from the building, one of which must be a stair located within fifty feet of the apartment's own exit point.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating buildings subject to N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 144 generally ensure that each covered dwelling maintains the required number of egress pathways—stairs, fire-escapes, or fire-towers—properly spaced, constructed to code, and accessible from every apartment. Compliant operators track the living-room count on each story, since exceeding twenty rooms triggers the requirement for additional vertical egress elements, with specific exceptions for stories not exceeding thirty rooms where hallways meet minimum width standards. Buildings constructed under plans filed after September 1, 1951, face the added requirement that the stair serving each apartment be enclosed and meet the construction standards referenced in § 144, making it worthwhile to verify the filing date of original plans when assessing compliance obligations.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under N.Y. Mult. Dwell. Law § 144, tenants in qualifying multi-story dwellings have a right to two accessible means of egress from their building, including a stair within fifty feet of their apartment's exit. If egress pathways appear blocked, inadequate in number, or otherwise non-compliant—such as a missing or obstructed fire-escape—tenants can document the condition and consider reporting it to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development or the relevant local housing authority, depending on the municipality. Tenant-rights organizations can help residents understand whether a specific building's configuration meets the requirements of § 144 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.
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