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Council adopts amendment adding short correction windows to rental registration inspections
Summary
Clarksburg council added a 24‑hour window for life‑safety repairs and a 7‑day grace period for standard violations (outside the winter season) to the rental‑housing registration ordinance’s inspection enforcement language; council members pressed for a finalized checklist before second reading.
Clarksburg’s City Council on March 19 amended its rental‑housing registration ordinance to give property owners limited time to correct violations found during initial inspections.
Councilmember (voice 4) proposed language that would require landlords to correct life‑safety violations within 24 hours and standard violations within seven days outside the winter season before a $150 compliance inspection fee is levied. The amendment also preserved longer timelines for repairs identified during the winter season, as referenced in another section of chapter 17.67. “If violations are found during an inspection, the property owner shall have 24 hours to correct life‑safety violations, [and] 7 days to correct standard violations outside of the winter season,” the councilmember said when offering the amendment.
Supporters said the change balances safety with a short grace period so landlords who missed minor items during preinspection notices have time to comply without being immediately assessed the higher fee. Councilmember (voice 6) said the goal was “to get it right, not to get the money,” and supported the amendment; another member said the amendment offers a “benefit of the doubt” for owners who overlooked items.
Councilmembers also debated the winter‑season definition and inspection cadence. Staff explained that occupancy permits and the broader chapter set a two‑year period for some inspections, and that reinspection is required when a property sells within the two‑year window. Councilmembers pressed staff to insert an explicit two‑year inspection reference in the ordinance text or cite the chapter section where it appears.
Members sought assurances about checklist content and how the city’s checklist would relate to HUD inspection lists for properties that receive federal assistance. City staff said the city would maintain its own checklist and that it is being updated; staff also committed to provide the revised checklist to council before second reading. One councilmember said they would not vote for final passage without seeing the checklist at the second reading.
Questions about enforcement arose. Councilmember (voice 6) pressed for stronger handling of repeat violators, suggesting more frequent inspections for repeat offenders and the possibility of pulling a registration sooner for noncompliance; staff said initial enforcement is citation unless the condition constitutes an immediate life‑safety issue. Councilmember (voice 10) confirmed inspection fees would fund a staff position to handle the program and that hiring could take roughly two to three months after the ordinance is codified.
The council adopted the amendment by voice vote; the ordinance will proceed to the second reading with the checklist and potential technical amendments to inspection intervals and seasonal language.
The council’s next step is to publish the revised checklist and consider any additional technical amendments at second reading before final adoption.
