This regulation establishes heating and air conditioning requirements for Mental Health Community Residence Facilities (MHCRFs) in the District of Columbia. Operators must maintain minimum indoor temperatures during heating season (October 1–May 31) and maximum temperatures during cooling season (May 15–September 15), with all systems thermostatically controlled and compliant with D.C. Construction and Property Maintenance Codes. Portable space heaters are restricted, and fireplaces require annual safety inspections and staff supervision during use.
View official source3830 HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONING 3830.1 Each MHCRF shall have a heating and cooling system that meets the standards of, and is installed and maintained in compliance with this section, the D.C. Construction Codes, including the D.C. Property Maintenance Code, the D.C. Housing Code and any other applicable District laws or regulations. Where the standards in this section are more stringent than the standards in the D.C. Property Maintenance Code or the D.C. Housing Code, the standards in this section shall apply. 3830.2 The MHCRF shall supply sufficient heat from October 1 through May 31 to maintain the following temperatures for every occupied room throughout the residence including, bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, and bathrooms: (a) A minimum of seventy degrees Fahrenheit (70◦F.) between 6:30 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.; and (b) A minimum of sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit (68◦F.) between 11:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. 3830.3 Each heating system shall be thermostatically controlled. 3830.4 A MHCRF shall not supplement its heating system with portable room or space heaters, unless their use meets FEMSD standards. 3830.5 A fireplace shall not be utilized unless: (a) The Operator can demonstrate that the fireplace and chimney have been inspected and determined to be safe for use within the past twelve (12) months; (b) An annual inspection by FEMSD has not revealed any violation or deficiency in the fireplace; and (c) An MHCRF staff member is present in the room while it is in use. 3830.6 The MHCRF shall provide air conditioning through individual units or a central system, which shall be maintained in safe and good working condition in accordance with the D.C. Property Maintenance Code. When residents are present in the facility, the MHRCRF shall provide an inside temperature no greater than seventy-eight degrees Fahrenheit (78°F) between May 15 and September 15 or whenever the outside temperature exceeds eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit (85°F). SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 65 DCR 1633 (February 16, 2018). District of Columbia Municipal Regulations Mental Health 22-A DCMR § 3830