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Code Enforcement
Rental Inspection Compliance Program
General Information about Code Enforcement
Roanoke's rental inspection ordinance (Chapter 7, Article III, of the Code of the City of Roanoke) requires all residential rental properties in certain areas of the City be inspected every four (4) years. These areas include Highland Park, Mountain View, Belmont, Morningside, Fallon Park, Kenwood, Gainsboro, Hurt Park, Gilmer, Harrison, Melrose, Loudon, the west side of Lafayette Boulevard in Villa Heights, Orange Avenue, Hanover Avenue and Staunton Avenue in Washington Park, Forest Hill Avenue Trailer Park, Tinker Creek Manor Apartments and Westcreek Manor Apartments on Westside Boulevard.
A closer inspection of properties located within the Rental Inspection District is available for your convenience by using the "zoom-in" tool (magnitfying glass with +) located on the Adobe Reader toolbar.
THE PROCESS
- City staff sends a notice of required inspection to owners of rental property in Rental Inspection Districts.
- If the owner does not respond to the notice or refuses the inspection, they will be in violation of the Rental Inspection Ordinance and subject to prosecution.
- If the owner responds to the notice, an inspector inspects the property to determine whether there are any building code violations.
- If there are no violations, the inspector updates the city's database and issues a Certificate of Exemption to the owner.
- If there are violations, the inspector will notify the owner by mail.
- Violations affecting the property's habitability may result in a repair order or condemnation order to immediately correct the violation.
- Once the violations are corrected, the owner requests a follow-up inspection.
- After a successful inspection, a Certificate of Exemption is issued.
- If the violations are not corrected within the time provided, the owner may be summoned to court.
- Unlike previous rental inspection programs, there is now a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) fee for each initial inspection or periodic inspection, and if violations are found, a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) will be charged for each follow-up inspection.
Note that it may take several weeks for the process to play out before the violation is actually corrected. During this time, the City is actively pursuing correction of the violation, and we appreciate your patience.
TO REPORT A VIOLATION
To report a violation, call the Citizen Service Center at 540-853-2000, option 2, or complete and submit the online Request for Service form
IF YOU WERE CITED...
If you were cited for a violation and would like to speak with an inspector, please call the Code Enforcement Office at 540-853-2344. Our goal is to obtain voluntary compliance. Most reasonable requests for extra time or for referrals for special assistance are granted, whenever possible.
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