N.Y. Multiple Dwelling Law § 103: Egress from apartments

§ 103. Egress from apartments. 1. a. Except as provided in paragraph

b of this subdivision, there shall be at least one means of egress from

each apartment on each and every story of such apartment, and a second

means of egress if the first means is not within fifty feet of every

living room in such apartment on such story. When two means of egress

are required, they shall open from different rooms.

b. In any class A fireproof dwelling or section thereof erected under

plans filed in the department after September first, nineteen hundred

fifty-one, an apartment occupying parts of not more than two stories

shall have at least one means of egress. Such required means of egress

shall be not more than forty feet from any room within such apartment

and shall open directly upon a public hall. Such public hall shall

provide access to at least two fire-stairs. Any stair within an

apartment shall be at least two feet six inches in width and a terminus

shall be not more than twenty feet from the door which provides the

required egress to a public hall, provided, however, that such stair

within an apartment shall extend downwards or upwards to the story which

provides the required access to at least two fire-stairs. In the event

of but one such means of egress, and if the stair within the apartment

extends downwards to provide egress to a public hall, there shall be a

balcony upon the upper story of the apartment. If, however, such stair

extends upwards to provide egress to a public hall, the balcony shall be

located on the lower story of the apartment. Such balcony shall provide

access from the apartment to a room of an adjoining apartment on the

same story. Such balcony shall be constructed of incombustible material

and be capable of sustaining a load of at least eighty pounds per square

foot. Access to such balcony shall not be obstructed by sinks or kitchen

fixtures or in any other way, and shall be maintained unobstructed at

all times. Bars, gates, grilles or other obstructing devices on any

window or door giving access to or egress from such balcony shall be

unlawful.

2. Except as otherwise expressly provided in paragraph b of

subdivision six of section one hundred two for certain dwellings six

stories or less in height, at least one fire-stair shall be within

seventy-five feet of at least one means of egress from each apartment on

each story thereof.

3. When any such fire-stair serving any apartment as a required means

of egress from the dwelling opens on the entrance story of the dwelling

exclusively into an entrance hall, no other fire-stair serving the same

apartment as a required means of egress from the dwelling shall open on

such story exclusively into the same entrance hall. Any required

fire-stair not opening on such story exclusively into an entrance hall

shall open on a street or in a yard, court or passageway affording

continuous, safe and unobstructed access to a street; but any such

required fire-stair serving any apartment as a means of egress from the

dwelling may have a supplementary entrance into the same entrance hall

as that into which any other fire-stair serving the same apartment as a

required means of egress from the dwelling opens exclusively.

4. When any apartment occupies parts or all of three or more stories,

every stair within such apartment leading to the third or any higher

story of such apartment shall be enclosed with fireproof partitions with

a fireproof door and assembly with the door self-closing at the second

story landing of such stair and at every higher story landing from which

the stair continues upward within the apartment; or in lieu of such

fireproof partitions and doors at least two means of egress from such

apartment opening from different rooms shall be provided on the first,

third and alternate higher stories, if any, of such apartment.

5. No means of egress from any apartment shall open into any stair,

fire-stair or fire-tower required under the provisions of this section

except through a vestibule or public hall.