Duluth approves multi-family housing inspection ordinance

The Duluth City Council recently adopted a Multi-Family Inspection Ordinance to regulate building inspections at rental properties. The ordinance defines multi-family housing and requires property owners to provide the city with a code compliance certificate covering 100 percent of rental units prior to Jan. 1, 2020. The ordinance also outlines the inspection process and how failure to comply with inspections will be handled, including fines that may occur.

The purpose of the inspections as stated in the ordinance is “to correct and prevent conditions that adversely affect, or are likely to adversely affect the life, health, safety and general welfare of occupants of multifamily rental housing; to provide minimum standards necessary for the health and safety of the occupants of multifamily rental housing; to provide standards of maintenance of multifamily rental housing to prevent blight; and to preserve the value of land and buildings throughout the city.”