Improving Our Community

The Buildings, Safety, Engineering & Environmental Department (BSEED) is responsible for making sure that all rental properties in the city are properly registered, up to code and have obtained a certificate of compliance (CofC).

The city has passed an 

Property Maintenance Ordinance Code-Amendment 10-31-2017

 that would do several things to improve the rental compliance process, including:

• The ability for the city to withhold certificates of compliance to landlords who are more than six months delinquent on their property taxes and owe more than $1,000.

• Providing landlords an expedited process for appealing the denial or suspension of a certificate of compliance.

• Less frequent inspections required for quality landlords who, for at least one year, have remained current on their taxes and have received no blight violations. The ordinance would extend certifications from one year to two years for multi-family dwellings and to three years for one- and two-family dwellings.

• Maintaining annual lead hazard inspections. Under the Proposed ordinance, all rental properties - even those with two- or three-year certifications, will require an annual lead risk assessment and clearance. The annual assessment can be waived only if the property owner has taken more long term or permanent measures to abate the lead.