Concord, NC Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Concord's Housing Code, established under section 14-31 and expanded through article II of chapter 14, sets minimum fitness standards for every dwelling in the city. S. 160A-441, that dilapidated, poorly ventilated or otherwise unsafe dwellings are a public nuisance that must be repaired, rehabilitated or demolished. The numeric standards are specific: section 14-58(b) requires every dwelling to have a heating system able to maintain all habitable rooms and bathrooms at a minimum of 68 degrees, measured three feet above the floor, from November 1 through March 31 each year, and the same section requires at least two wall-type electrical outlets and one light fixture in every habitable room plus a permanently wired smoke detector on every floor level and outside every sleeping area.

Section 14-60(a) sets minimum floor area at 150 square feet of habitable space for a unit's first occupant, plus 100 square feet for each of the next three occupants and 75 square feet for every occupant after that, with sleeping rooms held to a separate floor-area floor of 70 square feet for one occupant or, for shared rooms, 50 square feet per occupant 12 or older and 35 square feet per occupant under 12. The housing code enforcement officer investigates complaints, holds a hearing, and under section 14-44(b) issues a written order giving the owner 30 to 90 days to repair a deteriorated dwelling or to vacate and demolish a dilapidated one, with the chief of police authorized to extend that deadline up to one year for an owner-occupied dwelling or 180 days otherwise. Appeals go to the zoning board of adjustment within ten days under section 14-49.