Standards of construction, operation, safety.

6. The commissioner shall establish standards to ensure that every rooming and boarding house in this State is constructed and operated in such a manner as will protect the health, safety and welfare of its residents and at the same time preserve and promote a homelike atmosphere appropriate to such facilities, including, but not limited to, standards to provide for the following: a. Safety from fire; b. Safety from structural, mechanical, plumbing and electrical deficiencies; c. Adequate light and ventilation; d. Physical security; e. Protection from harassment, fraud and eviction without due cause; f. Clean and reasonably comfortable surroundings; g. Adequate personal and financial services rendered in boarding houses; h. Disclosure of owner identification information; i. Maintenance of orderly and sufficient financial and occupancy records; j. Referral of residents, by the operator, to social service and health agencies for needed services; k. Assurance that no constitutional, civil or legal right will be denied solely by reason of residence in a rooming or boarding house; l. Reasonable access for employees of public and private agencies, and reasonable access for other citizens upon receiving the consent of the resident to be visited by them; m. Opportunity for each resident to live with as much independence, autonomy and interaction with the surrounding community as the resident is capable of doing ; n. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.2015, c.125) o. An approved heating and cooling system capable of maintaining the temperature of the facility within the required range. In all areas used by residents, the operator shall maintain the rooming and boarding house at a temperature within the range of 65 through 81 degrees Fahrenheit, except in rooms: (1) designated for activities requiring physical exertion; or (2) where residents can individually control the temperature in their own living units, independent from other areas. L.1979, c.496, s.6; amended 1997, c.260, s.2; 2015, c.125, s.13; 2021, c.260, s.4.