1. The Codes Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized and directed to inspect rental property rooming houses and all other rental properties subject to the provisions of this Part.
2. The Codes Enforcement Officer shall inspect each rental property in the Borough to determine compliance with this Part once every 4 years pursuant to a reasonable schedule to be established by such officer, or in response to a complaint that an alleged violation of the provisions of this Part or of applicable rules or regulations pursuant thereto has been committed, or when the Codes Enforcement Officer has valid reason to believe that a violation of this Part or any rules and regulations pursuant thereto has been committed.
3. The Codes Enforcement Officer is authorized and directed to make inspections at any reasonable hour to determine compliance with this Part. For this purpose, the Codes Enforcement Officer is authorized to enter and examine any rental property or rooming house, yard or part, or either, and every owner, operator, occupant or agent shall give the Codes Enforcement Officer free access to it. Inspection may be postponed and/or rescheduled due to illness or other emergency or unforeseen circumstance.
4. The Codes Enforcement Officer is hereby authorized to inspect the premises surrounding dwellings, dwelling units, rooming houses, rooming units and dormitory rooms subject to this Part for the purpose of determining whether there is compliance with its provisions.
5. The Codes Enforcement Officer and the owner or occupant or other person in charge of a dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house, rooming unit or dormitory subject to this Part may agree to an inspection by appointment at a time other than the hours provided by this Part. The owner, agent or person in charge must be present at all times during the inspection.
6. The owner or occupant or other person in charge of a rental property dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house or dormitory room, upon presentation by the Codes Enforcement Officer of proper identification, shall give the Codes Enforcement Officer entry and free access to every part of the dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming house, dormitory room or to the premises surrounding any of these. Before making inspections within a contiguous area, the Codes Enforcement Officer shall first consult with organizations representative of property owners and other residents of such contiguous area, if any such organizations exist.
7. If any owner or occupant or other person in charge of a rental property dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming unit, dormitory room or a multiple dwelling or rooming house subject to the provisions of this Part refuses, impedes, inhibits, interferes with, restricts or obstructs entry and free access to every part of the structure or premises where inspection authorized by this Part is sought, the Borough may seek, in a court of competent jurisdiction, an order that such owner or occupant or other person in charge cease and desist with such interference. If any owner or occupant or other person in charge of a rental property subject to the provisions of this Part refuses, impedes, inhibits, interferes with, restricts or obstructs entry and free access to any part of the dwelling unit or premises where inspection is authorized by this Part is sought, the Codes Enforcement Officer and the Borough are authorized to seek in a court of competent jurisdiction an order that such person in charge cease and desist with such interference. Such person may also be liable for such fines and criminal penalties as set forth in other Sections of this Part.
8. The Codes Enforcement Officer and the Borough shall have the authority to institute any action permitted by law to enforce the provisions of this Part.
9. Any inspection scheduled pursuant to any provision of this Part may be canceled one time by contacting the Borough Office during normal business hours at least 72 hours in advance of the scheduled inspection. Failure to comply with these procedures for canceling, or canceling the inspection more than one time, will result in the imposition of a cancellation fee as set forth in §11-202 of this Part.
(Ord. 2012-03, 12/4/2012; as amended by Ord. 2020-01, 1/6/2020, §2)