New York State Tenement House Act

The New York State Tenement House Acts were a series of legal reforms from 1867 to 1901 which aimed to improve the conditions of dark, poorly ventilated tenement buildings in New York City. The cumulative effect of the laws required that new buildings must be built with outward-facing windows in every room, an open courtyard, proper ventilation systems, indoor toilets, and fire safeguards.