Cal. Civ. Code § 20.1
Definitions
Operative Text
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following
meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
20-1
(216905) No. 262 Sep. 96
28 § 20.2 LOCAL HEALTH Pt. II
Boarding house—A building or portion of a building occupied for human
habitation in which five or more persons, not related to the proprietor or man-
ager, are furnished with meals and lodging.
Garbage—Putrescible wastes, except sewage and body waste, including ani-
mal and vegetable offal.
Lodging house—A building or portion thereof in which five or more persons,
not related to the proprietor or manager, are furnished with sleeping accommo-
dations and shall include rooming houses, bachelor apartments, dormitories,
barracks, bunk houses and other kinds of buildings used to furnish sleeping
accommodations.
Refuse—Nonputrescible wastes generally regarded and classified as rubbish,
trash, junk and similar designations which have been rejected by the owner or
possessor as useless or worthless.
Sewage—A substance which contains the waste products or excrementitious
or other discharge from the bodies of human beings or animals.
Tenement house—A house or building, or portion thereof, which is intended
or designed to be occupied or leased for occupation, or actually occupied, as a
home or residence for three or more families, living in separate apartments and
doing their cooking upon the premises and shall include apartment houses,
apartment hotels and flats.
Water supply—A source of water, and other water treatment, storage, trans-
mission and distribution facilities.Section 28 Pa. Code § 20.1 establishes the official definitions for key terms used throughout Chapter 20 of Pennsylvania's local health regulations. It draws precise distinctions between types of multi-occupancy dwellings—such as boarding houses, lodging houses, and tenement houses—based on the number of unrelated occupants, the services provided, and the intended use of the structure. It also defines waste-related terms like garbage, refuse, and sewage, which are used to set sanitation standards elsewhere in the chapter. These definitions determine how other rules in the chapter apply to a given property or situation.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under 28 Pa. Code § 20.1 should be aware that the type of dwelling they operate—whether a boarding house, lodging house, or tenement house—is determined by specific criteria such as the number of unrelated occupants and the services offered. A compliant operator generally ensures that the nature of their property matches the category under which they are licensed or regulated, since misclassification can affect which health and sanitation obligations apply. Operators who provide meals and lodging to five or more unrelated persons, for example, are subject to the boarding house definition and the corresponding regulatory requirements throughout Chapter 20.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants living in multi-occupancy dwellings in Pennsylvania should know that 28 Pa. Code § 20.1 provides the foundational definitions that shape how health and habitability rules apply to their living situation. Whether a building qualifies as a tenement house, lodging house, or boarding house under this section affects which protections and standards govern the property. Tenants who believe their housing is being misclassified or that sanitation standards are not being met may consider contacting their local health department or a tenant-rights organization to understand which rules apply to their specific type of dwelling.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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