Section 27-2081. Occupancy of cellars and basements in multiple dwellings; general requirements

No dwelling unit in a  cellar  or  basement  of  a  multiple dwelling shall be occupied unless:
    a.  Such  cellar or basement is properly lighted and ventilated to the
  satisfaction of the department; and
    b. Except for rooms occupied in accordance  with  section  27-2082  of
  this article, cellar walls and ceilings are constructed of light-colored
  material, or are thoroughly whitewashed or painted a light color and are
  so  maintained;  such whitewash or paint shall be renewed as required by
  the department, whenever necessary in the opinion of the department; and
    c. Such cellar or basement is free  from  dampness.  In  all  new  law
  tenements or multiple dwellings erected after April eighteenth, nineteen
  hundred  twenty-nine, and in all other dwellings whenever the department
  determines that the subsoil conditions on the lot so require, the cellar
  or other lowest floor and all exterior walls shall  be  dampproofed  and
  waterproofed to the height of the ground level; and
    d.  Every yard, court, or other required open space on the same lot as
  the dwelling containing a dwelling unit in the  cellar  or  basement  is
  adequately drained to the satisfaction of the department; and
    e. Such dwelling unit complies with all of the applicable requirements
  of  the  multiple dwelling law and of this code for dwelling units which
  are not located in the cellar or basement of the dwelling, except  where
  more restrictive standards are required in this article.