No person shall rent to another for occupancy a dwelling unit, for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements:
(A) Foundations, exterior walls and roofs. The foundation, exterior walls and exterior roof shall be substantially water tight, protected against mold, vermin and rodents and shall be kept in sound condition and repair. The foundation element shall adequately support the building at all points. Every exterior wall shall be free of visible mold, deterioration, holes, breaks, loose or rotting timbers and any other condition which might admit rain or dampness to the interior portion of the walls or to the interior spaces of the dwelling. The roof shall be tight and have no defects that admit rain. Roof drainage shall be adequate to prevent rainwater from causing dampness in the walls. All exterior wood surfaces, other than decay resistant woods, shall be protected from the elements and decay by paint or other protective covering or treatment.
(B) Windows, doors and screens. Every window, exterior door and hatchway shall be substantially tight and shall be kept in sound condition and repair. Every window, other than a fixed window or storm window, shall be capable of being easily opened. Every window, door and frame shall be constructed and maintained in such relation to the adjacent wall construction as to completely exclude rain, wind, vermin and rodents from entering the building.
(C) Floors, interior walls and ceilings. Every floor, interior wall and ceiling shall be adequately protected against the passage and harborage of vermin and rodents, free of visible mold growth, and shall be kept in sound condition and good repair. Every floor shall be free of loose, warped, protruding or rotted flooring materials. Every interior wall and ceiling shall be free of holes, large cracks, loose plaster, visible mold growth or flaking lead paint and shall be maintained in a tight weatherproof condition. Toxic paint and materials with a lasting toxic effect shall not be used. Every toilet room and bathroom floor surface shall be capable of being easily maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
(D) Rodent proof. Every dwelling and accessory structure and the premises upon which they are located shall be maintained in a rodent-free and rodent-proof condition. All openings in exterior walls, foundations, basements, ground or first floors and roofs that have a 1/4-inch diameter or larger opening shall be rodent-proofed in an approved manner.
(E) Safe building elements. Every foundation, roof, floor, exterior and interior wall, ceiling, inside and outside stair, every porch and balcony, and every appurtenance shall be safe to use and capable of supporting normal loads.
(F) Facilities to function. Every supplied facility, piece of equipment or utility required by this chapter and every chimney and flue shall be installed and maintained and shall function effectively in a safe, sound and working condition.
(G) Discontinuance of service of facilities. No owner or occupant shall cause any service, facility, equipment or utility which is required under this chapter to be removed from, shut off from, or discontinued for, any occupied rental dwelling unit, except for temporary interruptions as may be necessary while actual repairs or alterations are in process, or during temporary emergencies.
(H) Fire and carbon monoxide protection. All rental dwelling units shall have working fire/smoke alarms in all bedrooms and corridors leading to bedrooms. All rental dwelling units shall have a working fire extinguisher inside the unit. Additionally, all rental dwelling units shall be supplied with a functioning carbon monoxide detector, unless granted a waiver from the state.
(I) Clandestine drug labs. Prior to offering a rental dwelling unit for rent or for sale, the owner of a rental dwelling unit that has been found to contain a clandestine drug lab shall, at their expense, contract with appropriate environmental hazard testing and cleaning firms that are determined by the Minnesota Department of Health to be competent for conducting a detailed on-site assessment to determine sample and testing needs, clean up and mitigation operations, follow up testing and determination that the property risks are sufficiently reduced to allow protection of the public and human occupancy of the rental dwelling unit.
(Ord. 08-04, passed 10-14-08) Penalty, see § 116.99