In November, the Manheim Township board of commissioners voted unanimously to update the Property Maintenance Code, which includes a new Rental Housing Licensing and Inspection Program. Effective Saturday, Jan. 1, property owners or responsible local agents of Manheim Township residential rental units, including single family homes, duplexes, townhouses, and apartments, are required to submit rental housing license applications to the Manheim Township Department of Code Compliance.
The program establishes minimum requirements and standards for interior and exterior conditions of structures and premises. Requirements include ensuring that fire and life safety systems are operational; heating, plumbing and electrical systems are safe; and the dwellings are clean, safe, and sanitary.
Manheim Township is implementing this program to proactively monitor housing conditions in rental units and help prevent any indoor or outdoor conditions that could create unsafe living situations for township residents. The Rental Housing Licensing and Inspection Program is designed to ensure a minimum level of life, health, safety, and welfare for all rental properties within Manheim Township.
There is a fee per building/structure for an annual rental license. Inspection fees are based on the total number of rental units on a property and are charged only on years of building inspection. Rental units are subject to inspections on a five-year cycle with a standard inspection checklist utilized to address code violations and compliance with township and International Property Maintenance Code habitability standards.
Miscellaneous electrical issues, not maintaining fire extinguishers, and missing or inoperable smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are among the common property maintenance code violations the Code Compliance Department will be looking to correct with this new inspection program. The goal of an upgraded inspection program for rental units is to ensure the safety of citizens in a way that is not unnecessarily burdensome to landlords.
To learn more about the Rental Housing Licensing and Inspection Program, visit http://www.manheimtownship.org and click on Rental Housing Program under Code Compliance in the Departments section.
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