(A) Notwithstanding division (A)(2) of section 3731.01 of the Revised Code, a transient hotel may allow a guest to stay in a transient sleeping room in the hotel for a continuous period of two hundred seventy days or less if all of the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) The transient hotel satisfies the requirements of divisions (C) and (D) of this section, as applicable.

(2) Not more than forty per cent of the transient sleeping rooms in the hotel are used for guests to stay for a continuous period of two hundred seventy days or less.

(3) The transient hotel designates a group of transient sleeping rooms, by room number, that will be used during the time period a license is valid for guests to stay for a continuous period of two hundred seventy days or less, and submits a list of the rooms the transient hotel so designates to the state fire marshal within thirty days prior to the first day that any guest is allowed to stay in any of those rooms for that extended period of time, and every year with the transient hotel's application to renew the transient hotel's license under section 3731.03 of the Revised Code.

(4) A quantity of combustible materials stored or used in the transient sleeping room does not exceed the amount of combustible materials acceptable for a light hazard occupancy area as defined and used by the state fire marshal in rules the state fire marshal adopts pursuant to section 3737.82 of the Revised Code.

(5) No cooking devices, except for a coffee maker, a microwave oven, or other similar cooking device that is listed as safe for residential use as defined and used by the state fire marshal in rules the state fire marshal adopts pursuant to section 3737.82 of the Revised Code and approved by the fire code official having jurisdiction, are stored or used in the transient sleeping room.

(B) No transient hotel shall change the designation of the transient sleeping rooms included in the list the transient hotel submits to the state fire marshal pursuant to division (A)(3) of this section during a license year. If the transient hotel submits a list of designated rooms with the transient hotel's application for renewal in accordance with division (A)(3) of this section and does not change the designation of any rooms included on the previous list the transient hotel submitted pursuant to that division, the transient hotel may continue to allow guests to stay in the designated rooms for a continuous period of two hundred seventy days or less without having to obtain approval from the state fire marshal.

(C) A transient hotel that permits transient occupancy for a continuous period of two hundred seventy days or less under division (A) of this section shall install, for all portions of the hotel structure that are subject to the requirements of this chapter, and properly maintain, a fire alarm and detection system. The system shall be installed in accordance with requirements specified in the state nonresidential building code established under rules adopted by the board of building standards pursuant to section 3781.10 of the Revised Code and shall be approved by the building official having jurisdiction, and shall be installed in accordance with rules the state fire marshal adopts pursuant to section 3737.82 of the Revised Code and shall be approved by the state fire marshal.

At a minimum, a fire alarm and detection system required by this section, as described in the state fire code adopted pursuant to section 3737.82 of the Revised Code, shall include the annunciation of any activated initiating device at a constantly attended location from which the structure's fire alarm system is capable of being manually activated. All other fire alarm and detection system components shall be installed in accordance with the building and fire code provisions in existence and applicable to such installations at the time the owner receives approval for the plans submitted pursuant to this division.

The owner of the transient hotel shall submit plans or drawings, specifications, and data prepared for the installation of that system to the building code official having jurisdiction over the transient hotel and the state fire marshal for approval. If the owner of the transient hotel is required to install a system or, if the owner of a transient hotel had installed a system that was approved by the building official having jurisdiction prior to the effective date of this section and is required to alter that system to comply with this division, the owner shall submit those plans or drawings, specifications, and data prior to installing or altering the system. No owner of a transient hotel who is required to install or alter a fire alarm and detection system shall install or alter that system until the plans are approved pursuant to this division. If the owner of the transient hotel wishes to allow guest stays for a continuous period of two hundred seventy days or less and the owner previously has installed a fire alarm and detection system in that transient hotel that satisfies the requirements of this section, the owner shall submit those plans prior to allowing guests to stay in the rooms designated under division (A)(3) of this section. Such an owner shall not permit guests to stay in transient sleeping rooms for a continuous period of two hundred seventy days or less until the plans or drawings, specifications, and data are approved pursuant to this division.

The state fire marshal shall conduct a review of the plans for all of the fire alarm and detection systems installed in accordance with this section concurrently with the review conducted by the building code official having jurisdiction and shall conduct that review in accordance with the provisions for such plan reviews as described in the state fire code adopted in accordance with section 3737.82 of the Revised Code. The state fire marshal shall approve or disapprove any plans submitted under this division within thirty days after the date the plans are submitted.

If the state fire marshal determines that such plans and systems meet the requirements of this chapter and the fire code adopted in accordance with section 3737.82 of the Revised Code, the state fire marshal, or a designee of the state fire marshal, shall provide written approval of the submitted plans and, if the system is installed in accordance with the state nonresidential building code and the state fire code, shall sign the certificate of occupancy for the structure incorporating the fire alarm and detection system installed in accordance with this section. Such approvals shall be the exclusive method permitted by the state fire code or any other regulations or codes adopted pursuant to section 535.373 or 737.21 of the Revised Code for approval of the fire alarm and detection system required by this section.

(D) A transient hotel that is constructed or altered on or after the effective date of this section and that wishes to allow transient occupancy under division (A) of this section shall do all of the following:

(1) Satisfy any electrical system requirements for transient occupancy in the transient sleeping rooms to be used under this section;

(2) With respect to the installation and maintenance of electrical power and lighting circuits in the transient sleeping rooms to be used under this section, install and maintain only twenty amp or greater electrical power and lighting circuits that satisfy the requirements of the state nonresidential building code;

(3) Comply with all other requirements of this section.

(E) The provisions of this section apply to all transient hotels electing to allow the extended stays under division (A) of this section in addition to all other nonresidential building and fire code provisions applicable to these structures. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a hotel in existence on the effective date of this section to install an automatic sprinkler system unless otherwise required by law.

Effective Date: 2008 SB237 09-12-2008.