# how many have rental inspection ordinances



## codeworks (Jun 21, 2012)

i've been in this community a little less than a year. i see a lot of rental properties ( and privatley owned) that are not kept up, not maintained, probably have'nt been inspected since they were built. i'd like to draft a rental inspection program to present, but i'm not sure where to start. any ideas would be helpful. we had them back home, fee based for registration of unit, annual inspections for building safety/fire code issues


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## MikeC (Jun 21, 2012)

http://www.ecode360.com/BR1254

Chapter 169 is the rental ordiance.  Fee for inspection is $25.  Fines are significant because some "slumlords" were considering smaller fines to be a business expense.  The threat of mandatory imprisonment on a 2nd offense usually does the job.  The slumlords will fight it all the way, but it is good for the city.


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## Keystone (Jun 21, 2012)

Here is two neighboring municipalities info:

http://www.allentownpa.gov/Portals/0/files/3%20PropRehab%20Art1741-1760.pdf

http://www.easton-pa.com/codeprograms.html


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## brudgers (Jun 21, 2012)

codeworks said:
			
		

> i'm not sure where to start.


  By talking with your boss's boss's boss. Usually, there isn't one for a reason. And that reason is political disinterest.


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## rshuey (Jun 22, 2012)

Here's mine. Written and sent to ICC for copyright.

http://bellefonte.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Bellefonte-Safety-Property-Maintenance-Code-20111.pdf


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## codeworks (Jun 22, 2012)

political disinterest is a p*ss poor reason to allow for the "development" of slums


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## ICE (Jun 22, 2012)

p*ss is spelled pi$$

or p!ss

and even pizz

but not p*ss


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## codeworks (Jun 22, 2012)

ok, thanks for the spelling correction.  what do you all do about/with rentals where you are ? are they inspected regulary or allowed to fall in to disrepair and eventualy become uninhabitable ?


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 22, 2012)

codeworks said:
			
		

> ok, thanks for the spelling correction. what do you all do about/with rentals where you are ? are they inspected regulary or allowed to fall in to disrepair and eventualy become uninhabitable ?


We do absolutely nothing. We have plenty of state landlord tenant rights laws on the books that we stay as far away as we can.


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## brudgers (Jun 22, 2012)

codeworks said:
			
		

> political disinterest is a p*ss poor reason to allow for the "development" of slums


  You don't bring a rental inspection ordinance to the mayor.   The mayor brings a rental inspection ordinance to you.

  "Political disinterest" is euphemism.

  To put it another way...

   Follow the money.


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## kyhowey (Jun 22, 2012)

We have a property maintenance code.  If the building has become an eyesore or a danger we can give the owner a notice of violation to have them fix up the property.  But that's only exterior upkeep.  We can't inspect the interior of the structure unless the current tenant complains of problems inside.


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## codeworks (Jun 22, 2012)

i disagree with brudgers. i come from an area that had no rental policy, all it took was 3 children ages 4, 6 and 8 all family to die in an apartment house fire over christmas weekend to change that. there is no need for this kind of tragedy to happen when a pro active position can help to prevent it. hows that for "money"


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 22, 2012)

codeworks said:
			
		

> i disagree with brudgers. i come from an area that had no rental policy, all it took was 3 children ages 4, 6 and 8 all family to die in an apartment house fire over christmas weekend to change that. there is no need for this kind of tragedy to happen when a pro active position can help to prevent it. hows that for "money"


So if you had an active rental inspection program in place there would never be any fires or deaths?

We do not nor ever will live in a Utopian society. Death whether by fire, accidents or natural causes is an unavoidable fact of live.

We need to quit letting emotions influence our laws/codes.


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## kilitact (Jun 22, 2012)

mtlogcabin said:
			
		

> So if you had an active rental inspection program in place there would never be any fires or deaths? We do not nor ever will live in a Utopian society. Death whether by fire, accidents or natural causes is an unavoidable fact of live.
> 
> We need to quit letting emotions influence our laws/codes.


AMEN to that mtlogcabin.  Whiley your regulating rentals for life safety reasons, you also need to include a daily inspection schedule with fines for residential property, some of those are in disrepair same has rentals.


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## codeworks (Jun 22, 2012)

thats not what i'm saying. an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. when i see buildings falling apart and "squaller" around the proverbial corner, i see a need to do something about it if i can. we don't even have an existing building code, so there are new neighboor hoods going up next to decrepit buildings, it makes no sense, so action seems to be the word here, on both fronts. i don't buy into ignoring something in hopes it will go away


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## kilitact (Jun 22, 2012)

codeworks said:
			
		

> thats not what i'm saying. an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. when i see buildings falling apart and "squaller" around the proverbial corner, i see a need to do something about it if i can. we don't even have an existing building code, so there are new neighboor hoods going up next to decrepit buildings, it makes no sense, so action seems to be the word here, on both fronts. i don't buy into ignoring something in hopes it will go away


That's noble. So you will include private residentials in your ordinance.


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## codeworks (Jun 22, 2012)

i'm going to include it. if i can the city council to read it and listen is another story. nobility has little to do with it. how did we all get into this business ?  it's based on need. triangle shirt factory fire, the great chicago fire, how many others, san fransisco earthquakes, on and on


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## Daddy-0- (Jun 22, 2012)

Our rental inspection program was all set to go until it got some bad press. The BOS reversed there position and canned the program. We use Property Maintenance code where we can but no annual rental inspections.


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## Alias (Jun 23, 2012)

Like kyhowey and Daddy-O, I don't have a specific rental inspection program but I do use the IPMC along with CA H&S Code when a tenant files a written complaint with my office.

Sue


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 26, 2012)

codeworks said:
			
		

> thats not what i'm saying. an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. when i see buildings falling apart and "squaller" around the proverbial corner, i see a need to do something about it if i can. we don't even have an existing building code, so there are new neighboor hoods going up next to decrepit buildings, it makes no sense, so action seems to be the word here, on both fronts. i don't buy into ignoring something in hopes it will go away


Thers is a big difference between a rental inspection program and adopting the IEBC or IPMC as tools you can use when needed. I suggest you get the tools you can use adopted first and start to work with those. That might be all you need to keep you busy for a long time


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## brudgers (Jun 26, 2012)

codeworks said:
			
		

> i disagree with brudgers. i come from an area that had no rental policy, all it took was 3 children ages 4, 6 and 8 all family to die in an apartment house fire over christmas weekend to change that. there is no need for this kind of tragedy to happen when a pro active position can help to prevent it. hows that for "money"


  You completely misunderstand my position.   I am only expressing the political reality.

  Dead kids create political will, sometimes.

  But up to that point, a rental inspection ordinance is low on the agenda.

  And the normal consequences of calling a council members cousin a slum lord is about all that will grow out of it.


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## brudgers (Jun 26, 2012)

codeworks said:
			
		

> i'm going to include it. if i can the city council to read it and listen is another story. nobility has little to do with it. how did we all get into this business ?  it's based on need. triangle shirt factory fire, the great chicago fire, how many others, san fransisco earthquakes, on and on


  Are you proposing to write a code that prohibits earthquakes?


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## Papio Bldg Dept (Jun 26, 2012)

brudgers said:
			
		

> You completely misunderstand my position.   I am only expressing the political reality.
> 
> Dead kids create political will, sometimes.
> 
> ...


That nails it for our AHJ's view on rental inspection (...and contractor registration/licensing, etc.).


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## inspectorgadget (Jun 26, 2012)

we have a rental program & a multi family program . the rental program costs $ 300.00 per yr & is required to be inspected every yr . its supposed to be for over crowding , house in disrepair , tall grass & weeds , however when these guys get in the house they spend an hour to an hour & a half looking at the stupidest stuf , lite bulb out  , hole in a screen , locks not locking the right way . they even make people open walls to add an outlet or a light switch even tho the house was approved back in the 60s & 70s . they get complaints every day .


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## MikeC (Jun 28, 2012)

inspectorgadget said:
			
		

> we have a rental program & a multi family program . the rental program costs $ 300.00 per yr & is required to be inspected every yr . its supposed to be for over crowding , house in disrepair , tall grass & weeds , however when these guys get in the house they spend an hour to an hour & a half looking at the stupidest stuf , lite bulb out  , hole in a screen , locks not locking the right way . they even make people open walls to add an outlet or a light switch even tho the house was approved back in the 60s & 70s . they get complaints every day .


All of those things are safety related under IPMC.  We recently lost a house to fire because someone ran an extension cord for a heater and never uncoiled, letting it get pushed in between the couch cushions.  While you cannot fix stupid, the requirement for a minimum of 2 electric receptacles per room does cut down on this type of stuff.  There is also a section about excessive use of extension cords.  In my area, no houses were approved back in the 60's and 70's ..... the industry was not regulated until the mid 90's.


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## ICE (Jun 28, 2012)

inspectorgadget said:
			
		

> we have a rental program & a multi family program . the rental program costs $ 300.00 per yr & is required to be inspected every yr . its supposed to be for over crowding , house in disrepair , tall grass & weeds , however when these guys get in the house *they spend an hour to an hour & a half looking at the stupidest stuff* , light bulb out  , hole in a screen , locks not locking the right way . they even make people open walls to add an outlet or a light switch even tho the house was approved back in the 60s & 70s . they get complaints every day .


The first order of business for any bureaucracy is to further itself.  They must give the populace the impression that they are getting their money's worth.


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## codeworks (Jun 28, 2012)

cbo is going to try to get the ipmc passed and into our new code cycle. i hope it flies, then we'll have something to work with


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## mtlogcabin (Jun 28, 2012)

Once a jurisdiction adopts a code then they are obligated to enforce that code (unless you are the feds who seem to pick and choose what they want to enforce)

Property maintnance codes are a drain on the general funds budget and will rarely cover the cost through fines or liens. Hence they are not popular in a majority of cities or towns. Those that do have them usually work of of complaints only and are not proactive in the enforcement of the code.

Make sure you understand which direction the elected officials want you to go, complaint driven or pro-active enforcement


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## David Henderson (Jun 28, 2012)

Fire Dept. does annual inspections of apt. buildings, thats it.What your proposing sounds like profiling,picking out rentals only, what about homes that are occupied by the owner and not maintained.


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## brudgers (Jun 28, 2012)

David Henderson said:
			
		

> Fire Dept. does annual inspections of apt. buildings, thats it.What your proposing sounds like profiling,picking out rentals only, what about homes that are occupied by the owner and not maintained.


  I've seen it handled by business license. That's what rental is anyway.


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## Alias (Jun 28, 2012)

mtlogcabin said:
			
		

> Once a jurisdiction adopts a code then they are obligated to enforce that code (unless you are the feds who seem to pick and choose what they want to enforce) Property maintnance codes are a drain on the general funds budget and will rarely cover the cost through fines or liens. Hence they are not popular in a majority of cities or towns. Those that do have them usually work of of complaints only and are not proactive in the enforcement of the code.
> 
> Make sure you understand which direction the elected officials want you to go, complaint driven or pro-active enforcement


For rentals, it is definitely complaint driven here, no funds to enforce the way it should be enforced.  Tenant is required to file a written complaint in my office.  I get a few a year mainly due to old housing stock (20's-40's) and absentee landlords.

Sue


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## BSSTG (Jun 29, 2012)

Greetings

I 've got agree with Brudgers on this. I would be literally drummed out of town by pushing a rental ordinance. The reality is that it would be political hot tater. That said, we sure need just that type of ordinance here. It will take someone getting killed in a fire to provoke it too. I'm not even sure that would do it.

Years ago I was a maintenance electrician in an ice cream plant. My partner and I refused to go into the interior of the blast freezer areas and for years we told the higher ups it was unsafe. Caused a lot of trouble. Sure nuff, a fellow maint worker was on the inside of this equipment when human error cause him to be nearly cut in half by some moving hydraulic racks. So he's dead now. He left a wife and 2 kids. Osha fines, lawsuits, depositions, maint. boss attempted suicide, widow's a mutil millionaire, plant shutdown until it's made safe, etc. So now you don't see Borden Ice Cream around anymore as they went bankrupt a short time later. That incidnet was a contributing cause for sure.

Yep, sometimes someone has to get killed to promote policy changes. It's a shame.

BS


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