Brookhaven, NY Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)

1. Section 82-8A bars issuance of any rental permit unless the dwelling complies with Town code, Suffolk County sanitary and housing regulations, and state law. Section 82-8B authorizes the Chief Building Inspector to inspect dwellings to safeguard health, safety and welfare, entering with the owner's consent during reasonable daylight hours, or without consent only in an emergency. Section 82-8C then restricts warrantless searches: absent an emergency, no inspection may proceed without the owner's consent or a court-issued warrant. Under § 82-9, when an owner refuses to allow an inspection and there is reasonable cause to believe a Chapter 82 violation exists, the Chief Building Inspector may apply to the District Court or Supreme Court of Suffolk County for a search warrant.

Section 82-8E creates a rebuttable presumption that any dwelling not occupied by its legal owner is being rented for a fee, useful in enforcement where a landlord denies renting the unit. Enforcement authority rests with the "Code Enforcement Officer," a term § 82-2 defines broadly to include Building, Zoning, Fire Marshal and Police personnel plus Town Investigators, and § 82-13 assigns enforcement of the whole chapter to that officer.