St. Peters, MO Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)
Key Facts
- Complaint route
- Any person may file a complaint prompting inspection
- Governing section
- Property Maintenance Code § 113.90.3.1
- Follow-up authority
- Health and Code Enforcement Manager
- Possible orders
- Repair, vacate, or demolish after notice and hearing
- General penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 90 days jail, or both
Summary
Under Section 525.040's Property Maintenance Code amendments, the St. Peters Code Official must inspect any building, wall, or structure about which a complaint is filed alleging it is or may be a dangerous building, whenever the Code Official finds reasonable grounds to believe the complaint. That duty covers residential rentals along with every other occupancy type in the City of St. Peters, Missouri.
113.90.3.1 Procedure And Notice. The Code Official shall have the duty under this Section 113.90 to: a. Inspect, or cause to be inspected, as often as may be necessary, all residential, institutional, assembly, commercial, industrial, garage, special, or miscellaneous occupancy buildings for the purpose of determining whether any conditions exist that render such places a dangerous building when he/she has reasonable grounds to believe that any such building is dangerous. b. Inspect any building, wall, or structure about which complaints are filed by any person to the effect that a building, wall, or structure is or may be existing in violation of this Section 113, and the Code Official determines that there are reasonable grounds to believe that such building is dangerous. c. Inspect any building, wall, or structure reported by the Fire or Police Departments of this City as probably existing in violation of this Section 113.
Full Breakdown
Section 113.90.3.1, adopted as an amendment within Section 525.040 of the Property Maintenance Code, spells out three separate duties for the Code Official to open a dangerous-building inspection: proactive inspection of any occupancy type when there are reasonable grounds a building is dangerous; inspection triggered by a complaint filed by any person, including a tenant, alleging the building violates Section 113; and inspection triggered by a Fire or Police Department report. A tenant reporting unsafe conditions in a rental unit falls squarely within the complaint route once the Code Official finds reasonable grounds.
If an inspection substantiates a dangerous building under Section 113.90.1, Section 113.90.3.2 lets the Health and Code Enforcement Manager supervise a further inspection and, per Section 113.90.3, order the property repaired, vacated, or demolished depending on severity, following the written notice and hearing procedure in Section 113.90.3.1(d) through (g). Owners, occupants, lessees, mortgagees, and agents shown on the St. Charles County land records are entitled to that written notice and a hearing before the Health and Code Enforcement Manager, who then issues written findings and, if warranted, a compliance order.
Violations & Fines
A dangerous-building finding does not itself carry a set fine; it leads to a repair, vacate, or demolish order under Section 113.90.3 after notice and hearing. Separately, Section 525.050 makes any violation of the Property Maintenance Code an offense punishable by a fine of up to $500 or up to 90 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a St. Peters tenant get their rental unit inspected by filing a complaint?
What happens after a St. Peters inspector confirms a dangerous building?
What is the penalty for a Property Maintenance Code violation in St. Peters?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Peters
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