2023 New York Laws › MDW - Multiple Dwelling › Article 4 - Fireproof Multiple Dwellings › Title 1 - Fire Protection › 102 - Stairs.

§  102.  Stairs.  1.  Except  as  otherwise  specifically  provided in
  subdivisions three and four and  in  paragraphs  b  to  j  inclusive  of
  subdivision  six,  every  multiple dwelling which exceeds two stories in
  height shall have at  least  two  fire-stairs.  Such  fire-stairs  shall
  extend  from  the  entrance  story  to  the  roof  and  be equipped with
  fireproof  self-closing  doors  glazed  with  wire  glass  and   without
  transoms.  No windows shall be required in such stairs, but any openings
  in exterior walls, except any window openings facing a street  or  yard,
  shall  be equipped with fireproof frame and sash glazed with wire glass.
  Entrances to such fire-stairs shall be at  least  fifteen  feet  distant
  from  each  other  and  from  the  entrance to every other fire-stair or
  fire-tower, except that the distance between two such entrances  may  be
  less  if  they  are  on opposite sides of an elevator vestibule or other
  public hall or are separated by an elevator shaft.    The  doors  giving
  access to such stairs shall not be held open by any device whatever.
2.  Every such fire-stair shall have an entrance on the entrance story
  from a street or an entrance at the side or rear of the dwelling from  a
  yard,  court  or  passageway  having  continuous,  safe and unobstructed
  access to a street. Except as otherwise expressly provided in paragraphs
  b to j inclusive of subdivision six, in a  dwelling  not  exceeding  one
  hundred   twenty-five   feet  in  height  every  stair,  fire-stair  and
  fire-tower shall be at least three feet in clear width, and  where  only
  one  fire-stair  or fire-tower is required such fire-stair or fire-tower
  shall be at least three feet eight inches in clear width. In a  dwelling
  exceeding   one  hundred  twenty-five  feet  in  height  every  required
  fire-stair shall be at least three feet eight inches in clear width from
  the entrance story up to a floor level not more than  one  hundred  feet
  below  the  ceiling  of  the  highest  story, and above such level every
  fire-stair shall be at least three feet  in  clear  width.  Every  stair
  landing  at  every floor level shall be at least three feet eight inches
  in clear width in every direction.
3. Except in dwellings erected under plans filed with  the  department
  before  April  twenty-eighth,  nineteen  hundred  thirty,  and except as
  otherwise provided in paragraphs b to j  inclusive  of  subdivision  six
  there  shall  be  horizontal access from every apartment to at least two
  fire-stairs, at least one of which shall  be  within  seventy-five  feet
  horizontally  in the line of travel from a required means of egress from
  such apartment.
4. Except as provided in paragraphs b, c and d of subdivision  six,  a
  fire-tower  may  be  substituted  for  any  required  fire-stair. When a
  fire-tower is substituted for a fire-stair, such fire-tower shall comply
  with all the applicable requirements for the fire-stair it replaces  and
  shall  have  its  means  of  egress directly to a street or to a yard or
  court having direct, unobstructed access to  a  street  without  passing
  through  any  entrance hall; except that a fire-tower may have its means
  of egress into a public vestibule if such means is not more than fifteen
  feet from a street in the line of travel.
5. The stairs in a tower or dwelling containing a  passenger  elevator
  and  meeting  the  conditions of paragraphs f, g or h of subdivision six
  may conform to the provisions of such paragraph and paragraph i of  such
  subdivision in lieu of the different provisions which would otherwise be
  applicable thereto.
6.  Under  the  special  conditions  described  in  paragraphs  a to j
  inclusive and in the following table, which  applies  only  to  class  A
  dwellings,  stairs  shall  conform  to the applicable provisions of such
  paragraphs and table.
NOTE: TABLE FOUND IN CHAP. 234 OF THE LAWS OF 1964
a. Except as otherwise expressly provided in  this  paragraph  and  in
  paragraphs  b to j inclusive of subdivision six, if the number of living
  rooms on any story above the entrance story exceeds forty,  there  shall
  be  an  additional  fire-stair  for each twenty living rooms or fraction
  thereof  in excess of forty on any story above the entrance story.  Such
  an additional fire-stair shall not be required if the number  of  living
  rooms on no story above the entrance story exceeds fifty and in addition
  the clear width of one fire-stair is at least one and one-half times the
  width  specified for a fire-stair in subdivision two, the clear width of
  every public hall connected with such fire-stair is  at  least  one  and
  one-half  times  the  width  specified  for a public hall in section one
  hundred seven and the clear width of every entrance hall connected  with
  such  fire-stair  is at least one and one-half times the width specified
  for an  entrance  hall  in  section  fifty.  Any  additional  fire-stair
  constructed  pursuant to this paragraph need not be carried to a greater
  height than the level of a roof, or of a terrace formed  by  a  setback,
  above  the  highest  story  on  which  the number of rooms requires such
  additional stair. When any fire-stair  terminates  at  the  level  of  a
  setback  of  any  outer wall, such setback shall form a terrace at least
  four feet in depth measured between the inside of the parapet  wall  and
  the  wall  of  the  dwelling  and  at  least ten feet in length measured
  parallel to the wall of the dwelling.
b. In a class A dwelling or section thereof not exceeding six  stories
  in  height,  for  which  plans  shall  have been filed in the department
  before September first, nineteen hundred fifty-one, only one stair shall
  be required, provided the number of apartments  having  access  to  such
  stair  on  each  story  does  not exceed six and the aggregate number of
  living rooms in such apartments does not exceed twenty, except that  the
  total number of rooms above the first story shall not exceed one hundred
  and  the  total  number  of  apartments  above the first story shall not
  exceed thirty.   Such stair  shall  in  addition  comply  with  all  the
  provisions  of  section  one  hundred  forty-eight relating to stairs in
  non-fireproof dwellings, except that in lieu of a window such stair  may
  have  at  each story an opening to a street or to a lawful yard or court
  other than a court on a lot line. Such opening shall be at  least  forty
  square  feet in area and five feet in width, and shall be furnished with
  a properly secured guard railing  at  least  five  feet  in  height  and
  approved  by  the  department.   Such opening shall be kept continuously
  open to the outer air. No means of egress from  any  apartment  to  such
  stair shall be more than twenty-five feet distant therefrom.
c.  In a class A dwelling or section thereof not exceeding six stories
  in height only one stair shall  be  required,  provided  the  number  of
  living  rooms  on  any  story  above  the entrance story does not exceed
  twenty.  If the number of living rooms on any story or  section  thereof
  above  the  entrance  story exceeds twenty, there shall be an additional
  stair for each twenty rooms or fraction thereof on  any  such  floor  or
  section  in  excess of twenty, except that if the number of living rooms
  on no such story or section above the entrance story exceeds thirty,  in
  lieu  of  an  additional stair one stair and every public hall connected
  therewith may be four feet six inches in clear width. Such  stair  shall
  be  completely separated from every other stair, fire-stair, fire-tower,
  public hall and shaft by fireproof walls. Doors to  stairs,  fire-stairs
  and  fire-tower  balconies  from  any  public hall in such a dwelling or
  section shall be at least three feet wide, self-closing  and  fireproof,
  with  their  assemblies  also  fireproof.  The panels of every such door
  shall be glazed with clear wire glass and no pane thereof  shall  exceed
  three  hundred  sixty  square  inches  in  area.  Those  portions of the
  enclosure partition which separate the public hall from the stair  shall

  be glazed with wired plate glass at least one-quarter inch in thickness,
  with  no pane more than three hundred sixty square inches in area, so as
  to provide so far as practicable an unobstructed view of the stair  from
  each  public  hall. Glass panels shall be at least twelve inches and not
  more than sixteen inches above the floor  of  the  public  hall.  Public
  halls  providing  access to any such enclosed stair shall be lighted and
  ventilated as prescribed for  non-fireproof  dwellings  in  section  one
  hundred  forty-nine.  No  means  of  egress from any apartment to such a
  stair shall be more than fifty feet distant therefrom.
d. In a class A dwelling or section thereof not exceeding six  stories
  in  height  only  one  stair  shall  be required, provided the number of
  apartments having access to such stair at each  story  does  not  exceed
  eight  and  the aggregate number of living rooms in such apartments does
  not exceed twenty-five, except that the total  number  of  living  rooms
  above  the  first story shall not exceed one hundred twenty-five and the
  total number of apartments above the first story shall not exceed forty.
  No means of egress from any apartment to such stair shall be  more  than
  twenty-five  feet  distant  therefrom.  Doors and stair enclosures shall
  conform to the provisions of paragraph c.
e. In a dwelling conforming to the provisions of paragraph b, c  or  d
  the  lowest  story  may be designated as a basement if such story is not
  used for living purposes but is used solely for storage or other general
  utility purposes accessory to the occupancy, use and management  of  the
  dwelling.   Such a basement shall not be deemed a story in computing the
  height of the dwelling.
f. Every  tower  erected  pursuant  to  plans  on  or  after  December
  fifteenth,  nineteen  hundred sixty-one in a fireproof dwelling shall be
  provided with at least one passenger elevator. Such  elevator  shall  be
  operated  between  the  ground story and the highest story of such tower
  containing any living  room  and  horizontal  access  thereto  shall  be
  provided  at each story for every apartment in the tower. Stairs in such
  a tower may comply with the following provisions of  this  paragraph  in
  lieu  of  the  different  provisions  otherwise applicable. In such case
  there shall be provided at least one fire-stair. If there are more  than
  fifteen  living  rooms  on  any  story  of  the tower, there shall be an
  additional fire-stair for each additional fifteen such rooms or fraction
  thereof. Every fire-stair so required shall extend from the top story of
  the tower to the entrance hall  of  the  dwelling  and  be  horizontally
  accessible from each story of every apartment in the tower. If the tower
  was  erected  under  plans  filed  with the department on or after April
  twenty-eighth, nineteen hundred thirty, it shall also have an additional
  means of egress as provided in paragraph i of this subdivision.
g. In a dwelling in which one or more passenger elevators are operated
  with horizontal access from every apartment in the dwelling and in which
  every story has an area of not more than twenty-five hundred square feet
  exclusive of elevator shafts, public halls, stairs and  fire-stairs  and
  contains  not more than fifteen living rooms, stairs may comply with the
  provisions of  this  paragraph  in  lieu  of  the  different  provisions
  otherwise  applicable.  In  such  case  there  shall  be  at  least  one
  fire-stair, and there need not be more than one,  accessible  from  each
  apartment  on  each  story  and  extending from the roof to the entrance
  story with unobstructed access to a street. If the dwelling was  erected
  under  plans  filed with the department on or after April twenty-eighth,
  nineteen hundred thirty, it shall  also  have  an  additional  means  of
  egress as provided in paragraph i.
h.  When  a  dwelling  is divided into sections by unpierced fireproof
  construction extending from the second tier of beams  above  the  ground
  story  to  the roof, and one or more passenger elevators are operated in

  each such section with horizontal access from  each  apartment  therein,
  and  every  story of each such section above the entrance story contains
  not more than ten living rooms where there are four or  more  apartments
  on  such  story  or  not  more than fifteen living rooms where there are
  three apartments or less on such  story,  stairs  may  comply  with  the
  provisions  of  this  paragraph  in  lieu  of  the  different provisions
  otherwise applicable. In such case there shall be in each  such  section
  at  least one fire-stair, and there need not be more than one, extending
  from the roof to the  entrance  story  with  unobstructed  access  to  a
  street.  If  the  dwelling  was  erected  under  plans  filed  with  the
  department on or after April  twenty-eighth,  nineteen  hundred  thirty,
  each  such  section  shall  also  have  an additional means of egress as
  provided in paragraph i.
i. The main means of  egress  from  every  apartment  in  a  tower  or
  dwelling  erected  pursuant  to  the  provisions of paragraph f, g, or h
  shall  be  within  twenty-five  feet  of  a   fire-stair   meeting   the
  requirements  of  such  paragraph.  If the tower or dwelling was erected
  under plans filed with the department on or  after  April  twenty-eight,
  nineteen  hundred  thirty, egress shall also be provided, in addition to
  the required fire-stairs, by means of another stair extending  from  the
  main  roof  of  the dwelling, or in the case of a tower from the highest
  story thereof, to the entrance story,  with  unobstructed  access  to  a
  street. Such additional stair shall be horizontally accessible from each
  apartment  at  each  story  through a vestibule or other public hall and
  shall conform with all the requirements for a fire-stair except that its
  clear width may be reduced to a  minimum  of  twenty-eight  inches,  its
  risers  may  be increased to a maximum of nine inches in height, and its
  treads, exclusive of nosing, may be reduced to a minimum of eight inches
  in width. No door giving access thereto shall swing into such stair.
j. A class B dwelling in which at  least  eighty  per  centum  of  the
  living  rooms  above  the  second story open directly upon a public hall
  without any intervening foyer or private hall, shall have at  least  two
  fire-stairs  accessible  at  each  story from each room through a public
  hall. Such fire-stairs shall be so located that at least one  fire-stair
  shall  be  not  more than one hundred twenty-five feet along the line of
  travel from the means  of  egress  from  any  living  room.  Every  such
  fire-stair shall have a clear width of at least three feet eight inches.
  Two  such  fire-stairs shall be deemed adequate for seventy living rooms
  on any story. For each thirty-five living rooms or fraction  thereof  in
  excess of seventy on any story there shall be one additional fire-stair;
  except that if such fractional excess number of living rooms is not more
  than  twenty per centum of the total number of living rooms provided for
  by the required two fire-stairs and one additional fire-stair  for  each
  thirty-five  living  rooms,  if  any,  in  excess of seventy, in lieu of
  another fire-stair for such fractional excess number  of  living  rooms,
  the  area  of every fire-stair landing at such story may be increased by
  not less than two square feet for each living room  of  such  fractional
  excess  number  of living rooms. In every such dwelling each living room
  which is occupied by three persons or  more  shall  be  counted  as  one
  additional  room for each four hundred cubic feet or fraction thereof in
  excess of eight hundred cubic feet in the cubic content of such room.