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Elkhart City rental‑inspection program finds frequent smoke‑alarm and carbon‑monoxide failures; inspectors booked through 2027
Summary
City building and code officials told the Board of Public Safety that rental inspections flagged many smoke‑alarm and carbon‑monoxide problems — including meter readings reported as high as 500 ppm — and that inspectors are scheduled into late 2027 as the program targets roughly 3,000 inspections annually.
Elkhart City’s rental‑inspection program reported widespread safety deficiencies on May 26, with building staff describing repeated smoke‑alarm, carbon‑monoxide and water‑heater deficiencies and a multi‑year inspection schedule.
Tim Bstein, the city’s building commissioner, told the board that inspectors have recorded carbon‑monoxide readings well above commonly accepted limits and that inspectors have at times required NIPCO or others to turn off gas services until hazards were corrected. Bstein said inspectors are finding many installations with missing or improperly located smoke alarms and numerous gas‑line or flue‑connection problems; he told the board that readings over 50 parts per million are unacceptable and that some meters recorded values as high as 500 ppm.
Bstein said the rental‑inspection program is booked heavily through the end of 2027 and that the department expects to conduct roughly 3,000 inspections per year until the backlog is cleared. The program’s process, as described in the meeting, runs comprehensive first inspections and then reinspections limited to items that failed previously; additional inspections would occur if tenants or landlords report new concerns via the city’s 311 system.
Board members asked about compliance rates and whether the city would add inspectors; staff said the program is on schedule for the planned multi‑year rollout and that code officers will assist with reinspections. The board heard the inspections are catching life‑safety items such as carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and that many landlords who register early are already meeting requirements.
The board accepted and filed the April 2026 rental‑inspection, building‑department and code‑enforcement reports.
What to watch • The building commissioner said staff will return with a report on how many landlords did not comply with the mandatory deadline and that follow‑up will continue as scheduled. • Reinspections focus on previously failed items unless new issues are reported via 311.
Next steps The board placed the reports on file. Staff plans to provide a compliance report in coming months and to continue the multi‑year inspection schedule.
