Winston-Salem, NC Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)
Key Facts
- Targeted area cap
- 1 sq mi or 5% of city
- Designation requires
- notice + legislative hearing
- No-complaint cause
- 2+ violations in 12 months
- Warrant refusal penalty
- up to $500.00 fine
Summary
Winston-Salem's housing conservation administrator inspects housing only for reasonable cause or inside city council-designated blighted areas, capped at one square mile or 5 percent of the city, not a citywide rental registry.
The city may require periodic inspections as part of a targeted effort to respond to blighted or potentially blighted conditions within a geographic area that has been designated by city council. However, the total aggregate of targeted areas within the city at any one time shall not be greater than one square mile or five percent of the area within the city, whichever is greater.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 102 | Personnel: Supplement 96 | Water and Sewer: Supplement 56 | Solid Waste: Supplement 15).
Full Breakdown
Under § 10-195(b), the city may only run periodic (no-complaint) inspections inside a geographic area the city council has formally designated as blighted, and the total of all such targeted areas citywide cannot exceed one square mile or five percent of the city, whichever is greater. Designation requires owner/resident notice, a legislative hearing, and a plan addressing low-income owners' ability to comply. Outside a designated area, § 10-195(c) limits inspections to cases with 'reasonable cause': a landlord with more than two verified violations in 12 months, a complaint, visible exterior violations, or an immediate safety hazard in a multifamily unit.
Violations & Fines
Refusing entry after an inspector presents a G.S. 15-27.2 warrant is unlawful under § 10-201: a class 3 misdemeanor per G.S. 14-4, punishable by a fine up to $500.00.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Winston-Salem require all rentals to register for inspection?
Can the city inspect any rental without a complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Winston-Salem
Compare Winston-Salem to another location·View the North Carolina rental inspections overview
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