Apartment up to code?

How would I find out if the apartment I am living in is up to code? My city uses the following codes:

International Building Code (2003)
International Residential Code (2003)
International Mechanical Code (2003)
International Fire Code (2003)
International Energy Conservation Code (2003)
National Electrical Code (2005)

Two things bother me. The electrical in my apartment seems a bit outdated. The lights occasionally flicker and the light switches are old push button type switches. I've never even seen these before.

The other thing that bothers me is I live on the second story which has a back porch. It apparently used to have stairs but they are no longer there. Now there is just a door that opens up to nowhere. If this is not legal can the landlord just board up the door making it so I do not have a second eggress?

Does anyone know any applicable codes that would make wither of these 2 things illegal? Can I find any of these codes online? Or is there a book I can aquire?

Thanks for your help!

 

The codes you refer to are for new construction and for additions.

Many items in homes and apartments are "grandfathered" in and accepted unitil there is new permitted construction.

In the case of apartments, most cities also have separate standards that are enforced regardless of whether there is any new construction. These standards are minimums for safe habitation.

You may want to check to see if your city has such a standard, which usually has periodic inspections. Many old items are permitted if they are safe. If there is a standard, there probably is certificate of occupancy and permit to rent that should be current and up to date.

Dick

 

For rentals, usualy local ordinances dictate which code is applicable unless they are safety items. This especially applies to access/egress situations.

The codes you listed do apply to new construction and to additions, but only to the scope of the remodeling and permit.

Usually, many cities have a separate division that addresses the specific problems of rentals since they are far different from the national model codes written for new construction and remodeling/additions.

Dick