Rental Inspections

Two philosophies of rental inspection divide American cities. In most, an inspector appears only when a tenant complains. In the proactive minority, every rental is registered and inspected on a cycle, funded by per-unit fees, on the theory that the worst housing belongs to tenants least likely to call.

Which philosophy a city runs tells you nearly everything about its housing enforcement. The details, registration deadlines, fee schedules, what inspectors check, whether retaliation protections attach, hang off that single choice.