Little Canada, Minn., City Code § 3200 (2026) § 3200.050

3200.050. INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE STANDARDS
A. Inspection Required.
       1. The issuance or renewal of a Rental Housing License is expressly conditioned upon
          the rental dwelling passing an inspection conducted by the City.

       2. The City Administrator, Building Official, Building or Housing Inspector, Fire
          Department personnel, law enforcement officers and their respective representatives
          are authorized to make inspections reasonably necessary to enforce this Section. All
          authorized inspectors have the authority to enter any rental dwelling at all reasonable
          times. The licensee is responsible for scheduling the inspection and notifying any
          existing tenant of the inspection.

       3. The licensee must provide access to the authorized inspector at the date and time of
          the scheduled inspection.

       4. Each Occupant of a rental dwelling shall give the owner, the resident agent or
          authorized City official access to any part of such rental dwelling at reasonable times
          for the purpose of inspection, maintenance, repairs or alterations as are necessary to
          comply with the provisions of this Section.

       5. If any owner, resident agent or occupant of a rental dwelling fails or refuses to permit
          entry to a rental dwelling for an inspection pursuant to this Ordinance, the inspector
          may seek an administrative search warrant authorizing such inspection. No warrant is
          needed for entry where an emergency condition exists which endangers persons or
          property and insufficient time is available to obtain a warrant and protect such
          endangered persons or property.

   B. Maintenance Standards
      It is the responsibility of the licensee to ensure that every Rental Dwelling is maintained
      in compliance with all city ordinances and state and federal laws. A violation of any of
      the following City Code titles or sections constitutes a violation of this section and a
      public nuisance and may be abated under the provisions of the Nuisances section (601) or
      Administrative Enforcement section (3301) of City Code:
      1. Minnesota State Building Code Applicable to the Rental Property and International
           Property Maintenance Code (Section 301)

       2. Nuisance Code (Section 601)

       3. Prohibition of Certain Open Fires on Balconies (Section 602)

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   4. Solid Waste and Recycling (Section 809)

   5. Animal Ordinances (Section 1101 through 1106)

   6. Burning Regulations (Section 1401)

   7. Tree Management: Nuisance, Disease, and Insect Control (Section 1701)

   8. Recreational Fires (Section 2002)

   9. Noise Code (Section 2801)

   10. City of Little Canada Zoning Code (Chapters 900 through 928)

C. Scheduled Inspection Cycles
   Licensed units shall be inspected by the city manager in accordance with the following:
   1. General Dwelling Unit and Short-Term Rentals
      General Dwelling Units and Short-Term Rentals containing three (3) units or fewer
      shall be inspected every three (3) years.

   2. Multiple Family Dwellings
      Multiple Family Dwellings and their rental dwelling units shall be inspected on an
      annual rolling basis. The City shall inspect a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%)
      of the total registered rental dwelling units within each complex every calendar year,
      ensuring that one hundred percent (100%) of all units are inspected within a four-year
      period.

   3. Off-Cycle and For-Cause Inspections
      Off-cycle inspections may be initiated by the City based on their sole discretion that
      an inspection is necessary for public health, safety and/or welfare.

D. Pre-Inspection Readiness
   1. All maintenance, property corrections, and safety standards must be fully completed
       prior to the arrival of the City Housing Inspector.

   2. Attempting to perform repairs, resolve violations, or otherwise bring the property into
      compliance during the inspection may result in failure of the inspection.

E. Cancellation and Rescheduling Policy
   1. An Owner or local Resident Agent may cancel or reschedule a scheduled inspection
      without penalty provided written or verbal notice is received by the City at least forty-
      eight (48) hours in advance of the appointment.

   2. Failure to provide a forty-eight-hour (48-hour) notice, or failure to grant entry to the
      inspector at the designated time, may count as a missed appointment, constitute a

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       failed inspection, and incur the mandatory reinspection fee established in the City fee
       schedule.

F. Reinspection Timeline
   1. Duty to Schedule
      Following an inspection failure, it is the sole responsibility and affirmative duty of the
      Owner or Resident Agent to coordinate with the City to schedule a reinspection.

   2. Standard Timeline for Reinspections
      All code violations must be corrected, and a passing reinspection completed, within
      thirty (30) days of the date the initial notice of violation was issued

   3. Extensions
      The City Administrator, at their discretion, may grant a temporary extension of time
      to achieve compliance based on the totality of circumstances presented and if the
      Owner demonstrates documented extenuating circumstances. All grants of extensions
      shall be provided in writing and shall specify a specific date for compliance.

   4. Right to Schedule
      If an Owner fails to fulfill their duty to schedule a reinspection within the Standard
      Timeline for Reinspections or by the date provided in a written extension, the City
      Administrator reserves the right to schedule a reinspection date and time. The City
      Administrator shall provide the Owner or Resident Agent with at least seven (7) days'
      written notice of this mandatory reinspection, delivered via first-class mail or
      electronic mail (email) utilizing the contact information provided on the most recent
      license application. Delivery by email shall be deemed effective upon sending.
      Failure to grant access for a City-scheduled reinspection following this notice period
      may initiate license revocation proceedings or impose administrative penalties.

G. Unaccompanied Minors and Unsafe Situations
   1. Unaccompanied Minors
      No inspection shall be conducted, and no City official shall enter a rental dwelling
      unit, if the only occupants present at the time of inspection are unaccompanied minors
      as defined by this section. A cancellation forced by the absence of an appropriate
      adult representative of a tenant may be treated as a missed appointment, count as an
      automatic inspection failure, and/or incur a reinspection fee.

   2. Unsafe Situations
      Any inspection terminated under this subsection may incur reinspection fees, and the
      City may require a law enforcement escort for any subsequent reinspection attempts.
      The City Administrator is authorized to immediately terminate an inspection, exit the
      premises, and log the walkthrough as an automatic failure if they encounter any of the
      following conditions:
       a. Active criminal behavior or immediate safety hazards (including, but not limited
           to, active smoke, fire, or gas leaks).

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            b. The plain-view presence of narcotics, illicit drug paraphernalia, or unsecured
                firearms and weapons.

            c. An Owner, Resident Agent, Manager, Tenant, or animal that displays clear
               indicators of severe intoxication, chemical impairment, or hostile, threatening, or
               aggressive behavior toward City personnel.