City proposes housing code tweaks to align with 2024 IPMC; staff recommend clearer rules and adjusted inspection cycles

City staff outlined proposed revisions to Rochester’s housing code at the March 9 study session aimed at aligning local language with the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) and clarifying enforcement procedures.

Taryn (Community Development) and Heather Barnes (housing manager) said the updates are mostly clarifying and administrative but include several operative changes: removal of an option that allowed owners to offer a rental unit while waiting for a city inspection; a clarified, consistent late‑compliance fee application; explicit criteria for converting a single‑family dwelling into a multi‑household rental (including items such as required fire separations and permitted paths to compliance); and more detailed egress‑window measurements tied to code standards.

Barnes said the city’s property incentive program, adopted in 2023, now results in faster inspection scheduling (typically one to three weeks) and that the ordinance changes aim to give landlords clearer expectations so properties that meet standards can qualify for longer re‑inspection cycles. Staff said Rochester currently has roughly 6,000 rental licenses covering approximately 23,000 rental units.

Council members urged clarity for tenants and landlords, asked how renters’ voices would be included and pressed for public hearings. Staff said tenant outreach was limited during the last major rewrite and committed to additional tenant‑focused engagement. Staff also said the ordinance is scheduled for a council first reading on April 6, with a target effective date of June 1, 2026, following final city‑attorney review.

What’s next: staff will return to the council for formal adoption, will provide clearer tenant outreach and intends to address process questions (for example, landlord contact lists, appeal fees, and inspection data) as part of implementation.