Staples, Minn., City Code ch. 103, art. IV § 103-92

(a) Compliance required. No person shall occupy any building or other structure or portion thereof, which does not comply with the requirements set forth in this section and that of article III of this chapter.
(b) Foundations, roofs, exterior walls, and surfaces. All buildings and structures shall be in compliance with section 103-53 .
(c) Pest extermination. Every owner of a dwelling shall be responsible for the extermination of insects, rodents, vermin, bedbugs or other pests on the premises. The housing inspector may order the extermination done by a person licensed to do such work when in the housing inspector's opinion the infestation is widespread and severe.
(d) Other pests constituting nuisance. Whenever it shall appear to the housing inspector that rats, skunks, snakes, starlings, grackles, common wild pigeons, or bats which are creating an offensive, nauseous, hurtful, dangerous, unhealthful, or uncomfortable condition to or for any person or persons or to the neighborhood, said housing inspector is authorized to decree such conditions a public nuisance and said housing inspector or an authorized representative shall issue a written notice to the owner or person in charge of or in control of the premises to remove, exterminate or otherwise rid the premises of the cause of such public nuisance within a reasonable period of time. Where the owner of the premises or the person in charge or control thereof cannot be found after due diligence, the written notice referred to in this section may be posted upon the premises with the same force and effect as though served upon the owner.
(e) Interior.
(1) Every interior partition, wall, floor, door, window, trim surface, radiator, and ceiling shall be kept in a professional state of repair. Interior partitions, walls and ceilings shall be provided with an interior finish material specifically manufactured for, and intended to be used as an interior finished surface. Walls, floors, and ceilings that are required to be fire rated by new construction regulations shall be maintained and repaired to prevent a lowering of the resistance to fire or the spread of fire. In addition, maintenance and repairs to walls, floors and ceilings separating dwelling units, or dwelling units from public corridors or stairways shall be done in a manner which will not reduce the sound transmission class of such walls, floors, or ceilings. Dwelling unit doors leading to communal, shared, or public areas, when replaced, shall be replaced with an approved solid core door not less than 1⅜ inches in thickness. For the purposes of this section, professional state of repair shall apply to the repair and application of interior finishes. Interior finishes shall meet the flame spread classification set forth in ch. 8 of the state building code as adopted in section 103-21 of this Code when such interior finishes are hereafter altered, refinished, repaired or replaced.
(2) No interior wall of any dwelling or building accessory thereto shall have paint that is blistered, cracked, flaked, scaled or chalked away.
(f) Rainwater drainage. All rainwater shall be so drained and conveyed from every roof so as not to cause dampness in the walls, ceilings, or floors of any portion of the dwelling or of any adjacent building or structure. Gutters and downspouts, if provided, shall be kept in a professional state of repair and in compliance with the provisions of article III of this chapter.
(g) Windows, exterior doors, hatchways. Every window, exterior door, and basement hatchway shall be reasonably weather-tight, water-tight, and rodent-proof; and shall be kept in a professional state of maintenance and repair. Every exterior window or door of habitable rooms, bath, and toilet rooms shall be supplied with a storm window or storm door or the equivalent for ventilation, light, and insulation. Unless otherwise provided for by written agreement, the owner or operator shall install such storm windows and storm doors not later than November 1 of each year. Such written agreements shall be applicable only to one- and two- family dwellings. All exterior doors of dwellings, except those, which are required to be out swinging based on occupant load, shall be provided with a storm door unless the principal door has an "R" value of two or more. The following energy conservation measures are required:
(1) Install weather stripping between exterior operable window sash and frames and between exterior doors and frames. Exception: Weather stripping not required on storm doors or storm windows.
(2) Caulk, gasket or otherwise seal exterior joints between foundation and rim joist, around window and door frames, between wall and roof, between wall panels, at penetrations for utility services through walls, floors, and roofs and all other openings in the exterior envelope.
(h) Shades, drapes. Every window of every room let to another for sleeping purposes and the windows of bath and toilet rooms used in conjunction with such sleeping rooms shall be supplied with shades, draw drapes, or other devices or materials which when properly used will afford privacy to the occupant of the room. However, upon written agreement of the owner and the occupant, said shades, drapes or devices need not be provided.
(i) Stairways and porches.
(1) Construction and maintenance generally; live load. Every inside or outside stairway attached to a dwelling, every porch and every appurtenance thereto shall be so constructed as to be safe to use and capable of supporting the load that normal use may cause to be placed thereon; and shall be kept in a professional state of maintenance and repair. Normal use live load shall be the uniform load as set out in the state building code, 100 pounds per square foot.
(2) Handrails. Every inside or outside stairway attached to a dwelling that has four or more risers shall have at least one handrail, and all such stairways which are 44 inches or more in width, or which are open on both sides, shall have a handrail on each side. If a stairway is open on one side, the required handrail shall be placed on the open side, when required by the housing inspector. Stairways required to be more than 88 inches in width shall be provided with an intermediate handrail. However, only one handrail shall be required when such an outside stairway serves a one- or two-family dwelling and the stairway is not more than 42 inches above the adjacent surface. All handrails shall be not less than 30 inches or more than 42 inches vertically above the nose of the stair treads or stairway platforms.
(3) To be kept clean of snow, etc. Required means of egress that are exposed to the elements shall be kept clear at all times of rubbish, snow, ice, or other obstructions when such egress serves a multiple dwelling.
(j) Guardrails. All accessible doorways, unenclosed floor and roof openings, open stairs, porches, balconies, walkways and landings which are more than 30 inches above grade or the surface below shall be protected by an approved guardrail. New installations or replacements of guardrails shall be in compliance with the state building code.
(k) Plumbing fixtures. Every supplied plumbing fixture and all water and waste pipes shall be installed in a non-hazardous manner and maintained free from defects, leaks, or obstructions. Water closets shall be provided with seats, which can be maintained in a sanitary condition.
(l) Bathroom and toilet floors. Every toilet room floor and bathroom floor shall be so constructed and maintained as to be reasonably impervious to moisture and all such floor and floor coverings shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition.
(m) Supplied facilities. Every supplied facility, piece of equipment, or utility which is required under the rental property maintenance code shall be so constructed and installed that it will function safely and effectively, and shall be kept in a professional state of maintenance and repair. Appliances used for cooking, air conditioning, laundry, dishwashing, or refrigeration, when supplied by the lessor, shall be installed and maintained so they will function safely and effectively.
(n) Discontinuance of required services. No owner or operator may interrupt or terminate electricity, heat, gas, or water services as provided for in Minn. Stats. § 504B.221.
(o) Vacant dwelling units. No owner shall occupy or permit any other person to occupy any vacant dwelling unit or rooming unit unless it is clean, sanitary, and complies with all provisions of the rental housing maintenance code. The owner of any dwelling shall be responsible for the removal of all garbage, rubbish, and other discarded debris left on the premises where the dwelling unit is vacant.
(p) Prohibited uses. No person shall use or permit the use of any dwelling or any building or any lot or premises for any use not permitted by the city zoning chapter.
(q) Numbering units. All habitable units let to another in a multiple dwelling shall be numbered or lettered in an approved and conspicuous manner on each passage door leading from such unit. All passage doors from each unit shall have the same number or letter and no two units shall bear the same number or letter.
(r) Mailboxes. Every owner shall provide a suitable mail deposit box for each rental unit. Such mail deposit box shall be approved by the U.S. Postal Service.
(s) Changing or altering locks. No person shall change or alter any keyed lock, or place such a new lock on the entrance of a dwelling unit without first providing the tenant or owner of that dwelling unit with a suitable functional key to operate such a lock. A tenant shall obtain permission of the owner, in writing, before installing permanent locks.
(t) Doorbells or buzzers. Every multiple dwelling of 11 or more dwelling units or 11 or more rooming units shall be equipped with an operable system of bells, buzzers or other signaling devices which operate from the exterior of a locked entryway and signal either within each dwelling unit and rooming unit or in the hallway or common area of each floor of the building.
(u) Secured egress and ingress to be provided for certain multiple dwellings. All multiple dwellings containing 11 or more dwelling units or 11 or more rooming units existing now or hereafter created shall provide the following security measures: all doorways leading to the exterior or to an exterior vestibule or entry must be secured by a locking device approved by the housing inspector. The locking devices provided for required egress doorways shall be of a type that will engage and lock automatically when the door is in the closed position within the frame provided. Further, locks on such required egress doors shall be openable from the exterior by the use of a key or other approved device. A key box of a type approved by the city fire department shall be installed for access by public safety agencies of the city, namely, the fire department and police department. All locking common entry/egress doors on buildings with fewer than 11 units shall meet the key box requirement of this article. All doors, whether required egress doors or auxiliary, shall be openable from the inside without the use of a key or any special knowledge or effort. All locking devices required by this section shall be kept in a professional state of maintenance and repair.