Livonia — Ch. 5.42 Rental Dwellings (Hotels, Lodginghouses, Roominghouses) § 5.42.065

(a) Initial license inspections shall be scheduled by the city officials subsequent to the registration of a rental dwelling as follows:
(1) All newly constructed rental dwellings and rental units shall be scheduled for an initial license inspection at the time the building is scheduled for a final inspection to obtain a certificate of occupancy as required under the building code.
(2) All existing non-rental structures which are converted to rental dwellings and rental units shall be scheduled by the owner or manager for an initial license inspection within thirty (30) days of the date that structure is converted to a rental dwelling.
(3) All multiple family rental dwellings and rental units that were not registered with the city prior to the adoption of this chapter shall be scheduled for an initial compliance inspection within sixty (60) days of submitting the rental registry information. The building official may inspect only a portion of the rental units in a multiple family rental dwelling with more than two rental units in order to issue a certificate of compliance, at the discretion of the building official. A fee will be assessed only for those rental units that are inspected.
(4) All single-family rental dwellings that have not been registered with the city shall be scheduled for an initial compliance inspection within thirty (30) days of the date that structure is converted to a rental dwelling.
(b) Periodic compliance inspections shall be scheduled by the building official for registered rental dwellings and rental units prior to the expiration of the existing license as outlined in this chapter. Failure of the building official to conduct a periodic compliance inspection prior to the expiration of a certificate of compliance, which failure is not due to any actions of the owner, agent or tenant, shall result in the owner or agent being permitted to let for occupancy the rental dwellings and rental units until the building official has conducted an inspection.
(c) Non-periodic compliance inspections will be scheduled as soon as practical by the building official:
(1) Upon receipt of a complaint from an owner, agent, occupant or citizen who would have occasion to be aware that the rental dwelling or rental unit is in violation of this chapter.
(2) Upon receipt of a report or a referral from any city department, public or private school or other public agency.
(3) Upon receipt of knowledge that a rental dwelling is not registered with the city as required by this chapter.
(d) No person shall cause a compliance inspection to be made for the sole purpose of harassing any individual, corporation, or governmental agency when a violation is not present.
(e) If the building official is unable to schedule an inspection due to the owners action, failure to act, or refusal to permit an inspection after reasonable notice of the intent to inspect, the owner shall not rent the rental dwelling or rental unit and, if occupants are utilizing the rental dwelling or rental unit, the building official may require vacation of the rental dwelling or rental unit.
(f) Reasonable entry and access to rental dwellings and rental units shall be granted to building officials as follows:
(1) The building official is authorized entry and access to a rental dwelling or rental unit at reasonable times to inspect to ensure compliance with the terms of this chapter.
(i) If entry or access is not made available by the owner, the building official is authorized to revoke the existing license, pursue administrative warrants or pursue other recourse as provided by law.
(ii) If entry or access is not made available by the tenant, the building official is authorized to pursue administrative warrants or pursue other recourse as provided by law. In the case of an emergency, including, but not limited to, fire, flood, or other threat of serious injury or death, the owner may enter at any time.
(2) The owner, agent or tenant, if requested by the Inspection Department, must accompany the building official and allow full entry and access to the rental dwelling and rental unit.
(g) If a rental dwelling or rental unit should fail a compliance inspection, a subsequent re-inspection will be required with an additional fee.
(1) In the event an inspection discloses that a rental dwelling or rental unit is not in compliance with the applicable codes, the building official will establish a record of the requirements that must be undertaken by the owner, and in what timeframe, in order to schedule a re-inspection. A license will be issued or confirmed only when those requirements have been met.
(2) In the event an inspection discloses that a rental dwelling or rental unit is not in compliance with applicable codes and the rental dwelling or rental unit is occupied, the building official will indicate whether the conditions are such that the rental dwelling or rental unit must be vacated, or whether steps to bring the rental dwelling or rental unit into compliance with applicable codes may continue while the rental dwelling or rental unit continues to be occupied.
(3) The city may revoke a license if a rental dwelling or rental unit fails any inspection.
(h) If the owner of the premises shall neglect, fail or refuse to comply with any notice from the city or the city Building Inspection Department to correct a violation relating to maintenance and repair of the premises under any code within the period of time stated in such notice, the city may cause the violation to be corrected. There shall be imposed upon the owner a charge of the actual costs involved, plus ten percent (10%) of said costs for each time the city shall cause a violation to be corrected; and the owner of the premises shall be billed after same has been completed. Any such bill which remains unpaid and outstanding after the time specified therein for payment shall be grounds for the imposition of a lien upon the premises as provided by law. Such a lien may be reduced to judgment and enforced and collected as provided by law, together with interest at the legal rate and court costs. The remedies provided by this paragraph are not exclusive and the city and its Building Inspection Department may invoke such other remedies available under this chapter or other applicable codes, ordinances or statutes, including where appropriate, condemnation proceedings or declaration of premises as unfit for habitation; or suspension, revocation, or non-renewal of the License issued hereunder.