Building Inspector Gregory Guidry recently placed before the City’s Common Council a proposal, saying:
“This program would allow city staff to go indoors to complete a health and safety inspection on a five-year cycle.”
According to Guidry, the proposed program is the result of elected officials voicing concerns about maintenance issues both outside and inside some rental units and the resulting negative effect on surrounding property values.
If passed notices on Burlington City Letterheads would go out to renters once every five years with a date for their inspection.
These inspections would check heating units in the cold months, leaky drains, water temperatures, unsafe electrical connections, mold, broken windows, door locks, screens and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
At present, the city is only able to conduct outside inspections and involves itself on the inside of rental properties only in response to complaints from tenants or their family.
The League of Wisconsin Municipalities lists 25 communities with an active registration and inspection program, such as the one Burlington is considering, including the cities of Kenosha, Milwaukee, Racine, and Delavan.
Some Common Council members are receptive to the idea of rental property inspections, yet are leery of the cost to launching the program, the extra manpower required, and whether the inspections would be considered intrusive by those affected.
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