Sparta CHAPTER 124: RENTAL UNIT LICENSING § 124.06
INSPECTION
Operative Text
(A) By applying for a rental license for property, or applying to renew that license, the owner of the property consents to inspection of that property by the city’s code enforcement officer. However, a property that passed an occupancy inspection within the previous 180 days does not require an additional inspection. (B) The code enforcement officer shall communicate with the owner to request an inspection based upon the information provided on the rental application. The owner must arrange for the requested inspection to take place within ten days of receiving the request. All inspections must take place within business hours. (C) If an existing tenant refuses to consent to an inspection, the landlord shall not be liable for that refusal. However, if the landlord allows the rental of that unit to renew for any period of time after that refusal and accepts payment for that renewal period, landlord will be liable as if a new rental agreement had been made without an inspection. (Ord. 2025-03, passed 2-10-2025; Ord. 2025-11, passed 7-14-2025; Ord. 2025-13, passed 11-10-2025)
Sparta § 124.06 establishes that applying for or renewing a rental license constitutes the property owner's consent to a code enforcement inspection, though properties that passed an occupancy inspection within the prior 180 days are exempt from an additional one. The code enforcement officer coordinates the inspection based on the rental application, and the owner must make the property available within ten days of receiving the request, during business hours. If a current tenant refuses to allow an inspection, the landlord is not held responsible for that refusal—unless the landlord subsequently renews the tenancy and accepts payment, at which point the landlord is treated as if a new rental agreement had been entered into without any inspection having occurred.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Sparta § 124.06, compliant rental property operators typically track whether each unit has passed an occupancy inspection within the last 180 days, since that record can satisfy the inspection requirement at license renewal. When the code enforcement officer reaches out to schedule an inspection, operators generally arrange access within the ten-day window and ensure the visit falls during business hours. If a tenant refuses to consent to an inspection, operators are generally aware that renewing that tenancy and accepting rent afterward can shift liability back to them as though no inspection was ever conducted—so documenting a tenant's refusal in writing is a common practice.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Sparta § 124.06 gives tenants a meaningful role in the inspection process: a tenant has the right to refuse consent to a code enforcement inspection of their occupied unit, and that refusal alone does not expose the landlord to liability. However, tenants should be aware that if the landlord renews the rental agreement and accepts payment after such a refusal, the law treats the situation as a new rental made without an inspection—which may affect the landlord's compliance status and, in turn, the unit's licensing standing. Tenants who have questions about how this provision applies to their building's license status may find it useful to contact Sparta's code enforcement office directly or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization for general guidance.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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