Rowan County, NC Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)

Rowan County's Minimum Housing Ordinance builds tenant complaints directly into its enforcement chain. Under Sec. 7-301(a), "whenever a petition is filed with the housing inspector charging that any dwelling is unfit for human habitation," the inspector runs a preliminary investigation, and the same section lets the inspector open a case on his own initiative if inspection shows a dwelling is unfit even without a petition. If the preliminary investigation finds a basis for the charges, the inspector must issue and serve a written complaint on the owner and parties in interest, stating the charges and setting a hearing date not less than ten nor more than thirty days after service, and Sec.

7-301(b) requires notice of that hearing to go to at least one person who signed the petition. Separately, Sec. 7-282(a) lets the housing inspector enter a building or premises to investigate a hazardous condition when the inspector has the owner's consent, or, if a tenant occupies the dwelling, when the tenant consents to the entry; the inspector must present credentials when requesting entry. If entry is refused, Sec. S. 2 before entering, and once that warrant issues, no owner, occupant or other person in control of the property can lawfully refuse entry.

At the hearing the owner can file an answer, appear, and present evidence, and any resulting order to repair or vacate can be appealed within ten days to the Housing Appeals Board.