Hempstead, NY Building Safety: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (2026)

The alternative applies narrowly, not as a blanket mandate: § 88-12K similarly lets an owner sprinkler, instead of fire-retard, the ceiling of a business space operating inside a pre-1952 multiple residence, and § 88-12Z(2) lets a public hall or stairway in a pre-1952 building three or more stories tall satisfy fire-retarding requirements by installing a sprinkler system throughout instead of fireproofing every opening. Boiler and furnace rooms in pre-1952 multiple residences taller than three stories face the same either/or choice under § 88-12DD(1): sprinkler the room, or enclose it in a fire-resistant room with a two-hour rating and self-closing fireproof doors.

Where a sprinkler system is actually installed to satisfy any of these requirements, § 88-12X requires the owner to have it tested and inspected annually, keep one copy of the test on the premises for inspection, and file the other with the Manager of the Building Department, correcting any defects immediately. Outside the multiple-residence context, Chapter 88 imposes narrower sprinkler duties tied to specific hazards, such as kitchens or pantries connected to a place of public assembly under § 88-12W(1), rather than a general residential sprinkler mandate covering one- and two-family homes.