§ 8.5-24. Definitions.

Basement. That portion of a building which is partly or completely below grade.

Bathroom. A room containing plumbing fixtures including a bathtub or shower.

Bedroom. Any room or space used or intended to be used for sleeping purposes in either a dwelling or sleeping unit.

Board. The Polk County board of county commissioners.

Building official. The officer designated by the county manager to administer and enforce the Florida Building Code or a duly authorized representative.

Code investigator. Authorized personnel of the Polk County building and codes division or other Polk County employees designated by the county manager to carry out the provisions of this article.

Condemn. To adjudge unfit for human occupancy.

Demolition unit. Authorized unit of the housing and neighborhood development division or other Polk County division unit and its authorized personnel designated by the county manager to carry out the provisions of this article.

Demolition notice. Notice issued pursuant to section 8.5-35(d)(2) of this article.

Division. Polk County building and codes division or other division designated by the county manager to carry out the provisions of this article.

Dwelling unit. A single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.

Exterior property. The open space of the premises and on adjoining property under the control of owners or operators of such premises.

Extermination. The control and elimination of insects, rats or other pests by eliminating their harborage places; by removing or making inaccessible materials that serve as their food; by poison spraying, fumigating, and trapping or by any other approved pest elimination methods.

Guard. A building component or a system of building components located at or near the open sides of elevated walking surfaces that minimizes the possibility of a fall from the walking surface to a lower level.

Habitable space. Space in a structure for living, sleeping, eating or cooking. Bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, halls, storage or utility spaces, and similar areas are not considered habitable spaces.

Housekeeping unit. A room or group of rooms forming a single habitable space equipped and intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking and eating which does not contain within such a unit a toilet, lavatory and bathtub or shower.

Imminent danger. A condition which could cause serious or life-threatening injury or death at any time.

Infestation. The presence within, or contiguous to, a structure or premises of insects, rats, vermin or other pests.

Labeled. Devices, equipment, appliances, or materials which have been affixed with a label, seal, symbol or other indentifying mark or a nationally recognized testing laboratory, inspection agency or other organization concerned with product evaluation that maintains periodic inspection of the production of the above-labeled items and by whose label the manufacture attests to compliance with applicable nationally recognized standards.

Let for occupancy, let, or lease. To permit, provide or offer possession or occupancy of a dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming unit, building, premises or structure by a person who is or is not the legal owner of record thereof, pursuant to a written or unwritten lease, agreement or license, or pursuant to a recorded or unrecorded agreement or contract for the sale of land.

Occupancy. The purpose for which a building or portion thereof is utilized or occupied.

Occupant. Any individual living or sleeping in a building, or having possession of a space within a building.

Openable area. That part of a window, skylight, or door which is available for unobstructed ventilation and which opens directly to the outdoors.

Operator. Any person who has charge, care or control of a structure or premises which is let, leased or offered for occupancy.

Owner. Any and all persons with legal and/or equitable title to real property in Polk County, as their names and addresses are shown upon the records of the Polk County property appraiser's office or the public records of Polk County, Florida. The use of the word owner in the singular shall include the plural when applicable.

Person. Any individual, estate, trust, firm, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, unincorporated association or other legal entity.

Polk County code enforcement special magistrate. The Polk County code enforcement special magistrate who is authorized by the board of county commissioners of Polk County to hear violations of county ordinances and codes.

Premises. A lot, plot or parcel of land, easement or public way, including any structures thereon.

Property. Any tract or parcel of land.

Rooming house. Any room or group of rooms forming a single habitable unit occupied or intended to be occupied for sleeping or living, but not for cooking purposes.

Rooming unit. Any room or group of rooms forming a single habitable unit, occupied or intended to be occupied for sleeping or living, but not for cooking purposes.

Sleeping unit. A room or space in which people sleep, which can also include permanent provisions for living, eating and either sanitation or kitchen facilities, but not both. Such rooms and spaces that are also part of a dwelling unit or not sleeping units.

Structure. Any building, or similar physical obstruction placed or erected with or without footers or foundation including all other manmade facilities or infrastructures placed upon a piece of property for any purpose.

Tenant. A person as defined herein whether or not the legal owner of record, occupying a building or portion thereof as a unit.

Toilet room. A room containing a water closet or urinal but not a bathtub or shower.

Ventilation. The natural or mechanical process of supplying conditioned or unconditioned air to, or removing such air from, any space.

(Ord. No. 11-007, § 4, 5-10-11)