Corcoran, Minn., Code of Ordinances ch. 118 § 118.05

A. It is the responsibility of the licensee to assure that every rental dwelling and RDU is maintained in compliance with all applicable city ordinances and state and federal laws including, but not limited to:
1. MN State Building Code.
2. The Corcoran Property Maintenance Code.
3. MN State Fire Code.
4. Corcoran City Code.
(Collectively the "Maintenance Codes").
B. Inspections. No operating license may be issued or renewed unless the City determines, following an inspection conducted pursuant to this section, that the rental dwelling and its premises conform to the Maintenance Codes. As more specifically provided below, the Code Compliance Official and their designees may cause inspections, follow-up inspections, and re-inspections on rental dwellings or RDUs on all classes of property within the City on a scheduled basis, and on rental dwellings, RDUs, owner-occupied residential units on all classes of property when reason exists to believe that a violation of an applicable portion of the Maintenance Codes exists, has been, or is being committed.
1. The Code Compliance Official and their designees are authorized to contact owners, tenants, and managers of rental dwellings to schedule inspections of rental dwellings at reasonable times. They are also authorized to conduct those inspections once scheduled. These scheduled inspections will be conducted to determine whether the rental dwelling and its premises conform to the Maintenance Codes so as to inform the City's decision of whether to issue an operating license. The authority to schedule and to conduct these inspections is available even if the owner or owner's agent holds a temporary or provisional license, and without regard to whether the owner or owner's agent has filed an application for an operating license.
2. Upon receipt of a properly executed application for an operating license, the Code Compliance Official shall cause an inspection to be made of the premises to determine whether the structure is in compliance with the Maintenance Codes. Inspections performed pursuant to the authority in paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 of this subsection are hereinafter described as "Licensing Inspections."
3. The Code Compliance Official and their designees are authorized to conduct inspections on rental dwellings, RDUs, or owner-occupied residential units on all classes of property when reason exists to believe that a violation of an applicable portion of the Maintenance Codes exists, has been, or is being committed. A complaint or complaints from a tenant of a rental dwelling shall be an adequate basis for an inspection of a rental dwelling.
4. To increase the awareness by owners of the likely timing of requested inspections and to conserve public resources, the Code Compliance Official may schedule and conduct inspections pursuant to paragraph 1 according to the area of the City in which the unit is located, dividing the City into zones, and endeavoring to perform inspections pursuant to paragraph 1 in one zone before beginning them in a different zone.
5. If a structure or rental dwelling is not in compliance, one or more follow-up inspections or re-inspections may be conducted to verify that conditions and any corrections conform to the provisions to the Maintenance Codes.
6. When the basis for the inspection pursuant to this section is information observed or obtained during a Licensing Inspection, such reinspection or follow-up inspections shall be conducted on a scheduled basis, whenever possible.
7. When scheduling Licensing Inspections pursuant to this chapter, the Code Compliance Official or their designee will seek the consent of the owner of the property (if not already received) to inspect those areas outside of the RDUs that are not accessible to the general public (including any internal rooms that are inaccessible to the public, such as storage or mechanical rooms) and to unrented dwelling units, and the consent of the primary tenant of the RDU (if not already received) to inspect the Unit. If the property owner demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Code Compliance Official or their designee that one or more tenants have consented in writing to the inspection of their units, individual contact by the City with those tenants may be deemed unnecessary.
a. For the purposes of satisfying paragraph 7, owners of RDUs shall report to the City the full names, telephone numbers, and addresses of the principal tenant of all RDUs under their ownership or control and update such information as needed to ensure that it is accurate and current. Licensees are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of this information and the City shall be permitted to rely on the same when determining appropriate notice.
8. If the City is unsuccessful in securing consent for an inspection pursuant to this chapter, the City may seek permission, from a judicial officer through an administrative warrant, for its Code Compliance Official, Building Official, Fire Marshal and their applicable designees to conduct an inspection. Nothing in this Code shall limit or constrain the authority of the judicial officer to condition or limit the scope of the administrative warrant.
9. The scope of a Licensing Inspection shall be limited to what is necessary to determine in accordance with this chapter whether the rental dwelling or applicable RDU and its premises conform to the Maintenance Codes. This shall not preclude the applicable inspector from relying upon observations made during a Licensing Inspection in seeking one or more of the remedies provided in this chapter.
10. A Licensing inspection must be scheduled during ordinary business hours or as otherwise arranged with the owner or tenant. Owners and their agents and tenants may at their option request that Licensing Inspections above take place only when they are present, so long as the request identifies a reasonable, feasible and expedient time(s) for such inspection following the date of the request when the requesting party agrees to be present.
11. Inspectors are not authorized to open containers, drawers, or medicine cabinets, unless the containers, drawer, or medicine cabinets are opened with the consent of the tenant (for areas inside the RDU) or the Owner (for areas inside the building but outside a tenant's unit, and areas inside an unoccupied unit). For purposes of this paragraph, a medicine cabinet is a covered cabinet located above a sink in a dwelling unit's bathroom.
12. Inspectors are authorized to open cabinets (other than medicine cabinets) or closets only when because of their location, those closets or cabinets, when unopened, appear to contain one or more water or waste water pipes, or fuses, or exposed electrical wiring, and it is reasonably necessary in order to inspect for the existence of one or more conditions that violations the Maintenance Codes, or when the cabinets or closets are opened with the consent of the tenant (for areas inside the unit) or the Owner (for areas inside the building but outside a tenant's unit, and areas inside an unoccupied unit).
C. Inspection Not Required. Inspection for the issuance or renewal of a license may be waived by the City, in its sole discretion, if the owner of a dwelling unit proves that within the previous 12 months the dwelling unit passed an inspection required by the City, State, or Federal regulations that is at least as stringent as the inspection required under this chapter and the City is not aware of any evidence of violations occurring or present subsequent to that alternative inspection. The City has sole discretion to determine when an inspection program is at least as stringent as the inspection required under this chapter. Inspections conducted as the result of a complaint made to the City may not be waived under this provision.