The Chapter 13 Inspection Program is a systematic inspection program of multi-family residential buildings built in 1972 or before and are three stories or more in height, to provide adequate fire and life safety for the occupants. These inspections include all vacant units, all commons areas, basements, roofs and escape routes. When a commercial occupancy is included within the building, separation walls and ceilings are also inspected.

This was a result of Ordinance 135236, passed by the City on September 7, 1972, which was to insure adequate fire and life safety protection for inhabitants of older multi-story hotels and apartment structures of 3 stories or more. Many of these older buildings were constructed in configurations that did not provide adequate safeguards, such as lack of enclosed stairways, availability of exits, fire separation, exit signs, etc. Agreements were made with the building owners and changes were made – the properties are systematically inspected to assure the Chapter 13 agreements are being upheld.

Section 1313 of Chapter 13 of the Appendix of the 1973 Edition of the Uniform Building Code is the code used for these inspections.