(A) No person shall lease, rent or cause to be occupied a rental dwelling or rental unit unless there is a valid certificate of compliance issued by the Department of Engineering and Building in the name of the owner/responsible local agent and issued for the specific rental dwelling and rental unit. The certificate shall be displayed in a conspicuous place in each rental dwelling and rental unit at all times or in a common area shared by all occupants of a rental dwelling and rental unit. The certificate shall be issued after making application with the building department and an inspection by the code enforcement inspectors to determine that each rental dwelling and rental unit complies with the provisions of the codes and ordinances of the city. An inspection report shall be completed by the inspectors after completing the inspection of the property. The report shall note all violations found in the dwelling.
(B) Before a certificate of compliance is issued, either all violations must be corrected and approved by the city or the amount of money estimated by the city to correct said violations must be placed in escrow with the Department of Engineering and Building together with a signed escrow agreement; provided, there are no dangerous conditions as determined by the city existing on the premises. If all of the said violations are not corrected within six months of issuance of the certificate of compliance, the city may revoke the certificate of compliance. The escrow funds will be released only after all violations are corrected.
(C) A certificate of compliance is valid for a period of five years for one-family and two-family dwellings and four years for multiple dwellings from its date of issuance if issued within six months of the date of the inspection report; provided that, the rental dwelling and rental units remain in compliance with all applicable codes and ordinances and are not sold or transferred. If the violations are corrected more than six months of the date of the inspection report, then the certificate of compliance will be valid for a period of five years and six months for one-family and two-family dwellings and four years and six months for multiple dwellings from the date of the inspection report. For a new rental dwelling, a certificate of compliance shall be issued simultaneously with the certificate of occupancy, and shall remain valid for five years for one-family and two-family dwellings and four years for multiple dwellings; provided that, the rental dwelling and rental units remain in compliance with all the applicable codes and ordinances and are not sold or transferred. When the rental dwelling or rental units are going to be sold or transferred, a new inspection and a new certificate of compliance shall be required. The inspection fees will follow the same guidelines as stated in § 181.021(B) of this chapter. The City Engineer may revoke a certificate of compliance for a violation of any code, ordinance or rule or regulation of the city. The certificate of compliance must be renewed every five years for one-family and two-family dwellings and four years for multiple dwellings at the Department of Engineering and Building. Any existing certificate of compliance that contains an expiration date prior to the adoption of this section shall remain in effect until the expiration date; provided that, the rental dwelling and rental units remain in compliance with all applicable codes and ordinances, are not sold or transferred within five years for one-family and two-family dwellings and four years for multiple dwellings of the expiration date of the current certificate of compliance; and, provided that, the property is not vacant or subject to foreclosure proceedings, or is the subject of a police report regarding vandalism, breaking and entering or open structure, or is determined to be a dangerous building by the Engineer in accordance with the city’s Property Maintenance Code.
(Prior Code, § 31.1-11) (Ord. 820, passed 7-6-1987; Ord. 832, passed 1-18-1988; Ord. 945, passed 7-20-1992; Ord. 1273, passed 10-9-2006; Ord. 1317, passed 11-9-2009; Ord. 1473, passed 3-25-2019)