Code compliance

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 It’s been  a busy few weeks. 

The city has a code compliance office that sends its inspectors to rental properties in our fair city once every four years. I have recently learned that it now can also issue 6 year certificates to well-maintained properties. I do hope that we get a 6 year certificate this time if only just to alleviate the stress. The property must meet all city standards and gives you only 2 weeks to fix all that is not up to code. It also is not cheap! Our property has four apartments and each is “inspected” and charged individually and in addition there is a building inspection fee. It’s a good way to get rid of “slum”landlords but one still hears complaints about the poor condition of rentals.

The house needed one smoke detector and a junction box cover. Apartment #1 had no issues probably because it was recently had a good clean and has a new tenant.  ( I always clean the apartments between tenants in order to inspect them well!) . Apartment #2 needed three new smoke detectors and small area of peeling paint. I also need to take down and clean the bathroom fan. (Some tenants claim innocence...I can’t do anything like that). Apartment #3 needed one smoke detector, some peeling paint fixed in the kitchen, a knob on the stove was missing, some old wallpaper that was peeling needed to come down or get covered up - we chose to cover it. Apartment #4 needed a smoke detector.  All in all, not too bad for an old, old house!

The peeling wallpaper and the small section of peeling paint in the kitchen seemed to be an indication of water damage so the roof and chimneys were inspected,  re-tarred and cement repaired and a hole was discovered and repaired.  Thankfully the roof is not in need of new shingles!

The inspection was done on Monday and almost all has been taken care of.  My repairman charged me an arm and a leg (isn’t that an odd expression?) because he could!!  Guys like that who do all these repairs, large and small, are not available. Covid has changed life.

My son N will come and do three things for me on Tuesday and it will be done for another 6 years this time...I hope.

Rent goes up on May 1st. 






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