Wilmington, DE Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

The city's housing code makes any person who leases or rents a dwelling responsible for having it inspected by the commissioner of licenses and inspections on a fixed cycle: every two years for buildings of five or fewer units, every five years for buildings of six or more units, plus an initial rental inspection before the cycle starts. Inspections check life-safety items, smoke/CO detectors, heating, hot water, electrical, sanitary disposal, water damage, roofs, and egress. Owners with a clean violation history, no condemnation notices, and proper registration/licensing can request a written waiver of a later cycle inspection (not the initial one). Violations found in a vacant unit must be fixed before anyone moves in; in an occupied unit they must be fixed within the deadline the commissioner sets, followed by a re-inspection.