Under the Building Code, an apartment house is defined as a building or portion that contains how many dwelling units or more?

Under the Building Code, an apartment house is defined as a building or portion that contains how many dwelling units or more?

• A. 1
• B. 2
• C. 3
• D. 4

Answer: (C)

The Building Code defines an apartment house as a building or portion that contains three or more dwelling units. That three-unit threshold matters because once a structure reaches three or more dwelling units, it is classified as an apartment house and triggers the corresponding requirements for fire-resistance ratings, egress, and separation between units. Buildings with fewer than three units are typically treated as duplexes or two-family dwellings, which have different, usually less stringent, rules. So recognizing that three or more units makes it an apartment house explains why this definition uses the number three.

The Building Code defines an apartment house as a building or portion that contains three or more dwelling units. That three-unit threshold matters because once a structure reaches three or more dwelling units, it is classified as an apartment house and triggers the corresponding requirements for fire-resistance ratings, egress, and separation between units. Buildings with fewer than three units are typically treated as duplexes or two-family dwellings, which have different, usually less stringent, rules. So recognizing that three or more units makes it an apartment house explains why this definition uses the number three.