Harrisburg, PA Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Chapter 8-511 of the Harrisburg Codified Ordinances, the Residential Rental Unit Registration Program, ties inspection to registration. Under § 8-511.8, once the Codes Bureau accepts a registration application for a unit whose owner has not received a certificate of compliance within the past five years, the Bureau inspects it, and every rental unit is then subject to inspection at least once every five years. Those periodic inspections happen alongside any more frequent inspections needed to investigate complaints.

The inspection process is limited to the exterior area and to the life-safety violations on the residential rental inspection list, which the Codes Bureau promulgates, amends from time to time and keeps available to the public at its office. Section 8-511.3 defines the exterior area as the outside facade of a building, including any balcony, porch, yard, lawn, landscaping, sidewalks, setbacks, curbs and contiguous open area owned by the same person. A clean inspection earns a certificate of compliance, and § 8-511.8(E) lets enforcement officers note any Fire Prevention, Building, Mechanical, Property Maintenance, Electrical or Plumbing Code violation on the inspection report.

Occupants must permit inspections at reasonable times on at least 24 hours of written or oral notice, except in an emergency (§ 8-511.6(E)). On cost, there is no fee for a routine inspection under the program. A follow-up inspection to confirm that a violation was abated costs the owner $100, and an owner whose unit cannot be entered at the scheduled time pays $175. Refusing access is a listed violation in § 8-511.99(B), and § 8-511.99(C) lets the Codes Bureau seek a search warrant from a competent authority to compel an inspection. When a certificate of compliance is revoked, the unit is placarded as unfit for human occupancy and a notice of revocation issues within seven days (§ 8-511.13). Anyone aggrieved by a Bureau decision can appeal in writing to the Building and Housing Code Board of Appeals under Chapter 8-501 (§ 8-511.14).