West Palm Beach, FL Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Once an owner applies for a rental license and pays the fee, the building official issues a temporary certificate that lets the unit keep operating while an inspector checks it against Chapter 18, Article IV, the city's Housing Code (§ 22-444). That code sets specific, numeric standards: every habitable room needs at least two wall outlets or one outlet and a ceiling fixture, plus a window or skylight equal to at least ten percent of the room's floor area for lighting and 45 percent of that window area operable for ventilation (§§ 18-95, 18-96).

Kitchens need a working, properly connected sink, and bathrooms need a flush water closet, lavatory, and tub or shower (§ 18-97). Owners must deliver every rental unit in a clean, sanitary, weathertight, rodent- and insect-proof condition, free of infestation, with screens installed and any needed painting, repair, or extermination completed before the unit is offered for rent (§§ 18-102, 18-103). If the inspection finds the unit compliant, the license issues; if not, the building official sends the owner a written denial that lists each Housing Code violation (§ 22-445).

The owner then has 30 days to correct the problems; failing that, the building official reports the violations to a code enforcement officer for further action under Chapter 26. A denied, expired, suspended, or revoked license blocks any further rental of a unit once it becomes vacant, though compliant units within an otherwise noncompliant multi-unit structure may keep operating if they do not endanger occupants' health or safety (§ 22-445).