Skip to content

Division 72

SEC. 91.8116. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR LIGHT-HOUSEKEEPING ROOMS.

Los Angeles Building Code — LAMC Chapter IX · 2026-08 edition · updated 2026-09-09 · Los Angeles

(Added by Ord. No. 171,175, Eff. 7/25/96.)

91.8116.1. General. (Amended by Ord. No. 186,488, Eff. 12/27/19.) This division does not prevent the use of a room as a light-housekeeping room in any building, provided that such room fully complies with the provisions of this section.

A light-housekeeping room is any room which is designed and used both as a sleeping room and for the cooking or preparation of food.

91.8116.2. Special Provisions.

91.8116.2.1. (Amended by Ord. No. 186,488, Eff. 12/27/19.) Light-housekeeping rooms shall contain not less than 150 square feet in area and shall be occupied by not more than two people. The cooking appliance therein, if any, shall be used solely for the cooking or preparation of meals for consumption by the occupants of the room. The use of cooking appliances, existing in rooms prior to September 20, 1963, shall be in accordance with the provisions of LAMC Subsections 91.8116.2.2 through 91.8116.2.10.

EXCEPTION: A room having a superficial floor area of not less than 120 square feet may be used for light-housekeeping if it is occupied by only one person.

91.8116.2.2. The cooking appliances used therein, if any, shall have no more than two burners. If electric appliances are used, they shall have been tested and approved by the Underwriters Laboratories. If gas appliances are used, they shall have been tested and approved by the American Gas Association.

91.8116.2.3. The installation, maintenance or use of said cooking appliance shall not be hazardous to life, health or property.

91.8116.2.4.1. Said cooking appliance shall rest upon its own legs, or shall be an approved, built-in unit of fixed installation. Said appliance shall be set not closer than six inches from any wall or projection thereof, and shall rest upon an impervious surface.

91.8116.2.4.2. The walls behind and adjacent to said cooking appliance shall be lined or back-flashed with noncombustible material equivalent to 1/4–inch asbestos mill board. The back-flashing shall extend from 12 inches below to 24 inches above the base of the appliance. There shall be clear and unobstructed space of 36 inches above the surface of the cooking appliance.

EXCEPTION: Approved prefabricated kitchen units.

91.8116.2.5.1. Gas-burning appliances shall be connected to the gas supply piping by approved metal piping with an approved gas shutoff valve readily accessible within the room, and maintained in accordance with the provisions of the Plumbing Code.

Electrical appliances and serving circuits shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the provisions of the Electrical Code.

91.8116.2.5.2. Guest rooms, other than those legally converted for light-housekeeping purposes, shall not contain a fuel-gas-burning or electrically energized cooking appliance.

91.8116.2.6. The room shall contain an approved sink with hot and cold running water.

91.8116.2.7. An approved storage cabinet shall be installed in the room. All food, dishes and cooking and eating utensils shall be stored therein when not in use.

91.8116.2.8. The bed in such a room, or any drapes, curtains or other readily combustible material shall be so located that they do not come in contact with the cooking appliances, if any.

91.8116.2.9. Any toilet room opening directly into such a room shall have a tight-fitting door.

91.8116.2.10. An approved method of heating shall be installed in each such room. Cooking appliances shall not be used for the purpose of heating such rooms. No cooking appliance shall be installed within a closet in such a room.

91.8116.3. Bath and Water Closet Facilities. In any building containing six or more light-housekeeping rooms, there shall be one water closet and one bath facility for each five units or fraction thereof. In any building containing five or less light-housekeeping rooms, there shall be one water closet and one bath facility which may be in the same room for each three light-housekeeping units in the building. Such toilet and bath facilities shall be accessible to and from a public hallway.

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
Export this section
▸Contents — Los Angeles Building Code — LAMC Chapter IX
Los Angeles Building Code — LAMC Chapter IX
  1. Chapter IX
  2. Chapter IX — BUILDING REGULATIONS
  3. Division 1
  4. Division 2
  5. Division 3
  6. Division 4
  7. Division 5
  8. Division 6
  9. Division 7
  10. Division 8
  11. Division 9
  12. Division 10
  13. Division 11
  14. Division 12
  15. Division 13
  16. Division 14
  17. Division 15
  18. Division 16
  19. Division 17
  20. Division 18
  21. Division 19
  22. Division 20
  23. Division 21
  24. Division 22
  25. Division 23
  26. Division 24
  27. Division 25
  28. Division 26
  29. Division 27
  30. Division 28
  31. Division 29
  32. Division 30
  33. Division 31
  34. Division 32
  35. Division 33
  36. Division 34
  37. Division 35
  38. Division 61
  39. Division 62
  40. Division 63
  41. Division 67
  42. Division 70
  43. Division 71
  44. ▸Division 72
    Overview
    1. SEC. 91.7200. PURPOSE.
    2. SEC. 91.7201. GENERAL.
    3. SEC. 91.7202. ADDITIONS TO BUILDINGS.
    4. SEC. 91.7203. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.
    5. SEC. 91.7204. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FIRE DISTRICT NUMBER 1.
    6. SEC. 91.7207. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE VERY HIGH FIRE HAZA…
    7. SEC. 91.7208. PROHIBITED VEHICLES.
    8. SEC. 91.8101. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
    9. SEC. 91.8102. ENFORCEMENT.
    10. SEC. 91.8103. EXISTING BUILDING RIGHTS.
    11. SEC. 91.8104. BASIC MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF EXISTING BUILDIN…
    12. SEC. 91.8105. ILLEGAL BUILDINGS, CONSTRUCTION AND USE.
    13. SEC. 91.8108. NUISANCES, HAZARDOUS BUILDINGS AND SUBSTANDARD R…
    14. SEC. 91.8109. RELOCATED BUILDINGS.
    15. SEC. 91.8110. UNREINFORCED MASONRY BEARING WALL BUILDINGS.
    16. SEC. 91.8111. RESIDENTIAL HEATING.
    17. SEC. 91.8112. RESIDENTIAL PLUMBING.
    18. SEC. 91.8113. ROD BRACING SYSTEMS.
    19. SEC. 91.8114. PARAPETS AND APPENDAGES.
    20. SEC. 91.8115. SANDBLASTING.
    21. SEC. 91.8116. SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR LIGHT-HOUSEKEEPING ROOMS.
    22. SEC. 91.8117. FIRE WATCH.
    23. SEC. 91.8118. POOL WATER CLARITY.
    24. SEC. 91.8119. HISTORICAL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES.
  45. Division 82
  46. Division 83
  47. Division 85
  48. Division 88
  49. Division 89
  50. Division 90
  51. Division 91
  52. Division 92
  53. Division 93
  54. Division 94
  55. Division 95
  56. Division 96
  57. Division 5 — REGISTRATION
  58. Division 16A
  59. Division 17
  60. Division 18
  61. Division 19
  62. Division 20
  63. Division 21
  64. Division 17
  65. Division 18
  66. Division C
  67. Division D

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.