Council adopts 2024 international property maintenance code to replace 1998 standards; effective Jan. 1, 2026

City planning staff presented an ordinance to repeal and replace the property‑maintenance code (Chapter 13.03) and adopt the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) as tailored for Lafayette. Staff said the city’s existing code dated to 1998 and needed modernization and alignment with state unsafe‑building law.

Staff described key changes: updated terminology to match Indiana code; removal of sections duplicated elsewhere (unsafe structures, demolition, nuisances); new provisions for carbon monoxide alarms, swimming‑pool safety, building security and owner responsibility for upkeep; and clearer, enforceable standards for plumbing and mechanical systems. The ordinance also removes outdated references and provides a delayed effective date to allow notice and implementation.

Staff stressed the update was a collaborative effort among legal, engineering and fire departments to avoid conflicting requirements and to tailor the IPMC to Lafayette’s needs. The council conducted a roll call and approved the ordinance unanimously; staff said the ordinance has an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026, to give property owners and the enforcement staff time to prepare.

Members of the public asked whether the code would address conditions in older rental units and outbuildings; staff said the update covers other structures on a property such as garages and outbuildings and reiterated that citizens can request rental inspections through the city website to trigger code enforcement visits.