Dunwoody, GA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Threshold
- Applies to rental dwellings with 4+ units
- Initial requirement
- 100% of units inspected before occupation tax certificate
- Annual cycle
- 20% of units inspected yearly, all units every 5 years
- Record retention
- Inspection records produced within 10 business days of request
- Enforcement
- Noncompliant units cannot be leased if life-safety issues exist
Summary
Dunwoody's code compliance program requires every multifamily rental unit to pass an inspection against minimum housing standards before it can be occupied. Owners submit a code compliance certificate to the city, and if a certified building inspector finds a unit noncompliant, the owner must file a repair plan with the chief building official. Units with life-safety violations cannot be leased until the work is done.
(2)Inspection. Upon initial inspection of such dwellings or units, should a certified building inspector determine that further work is necessary to comply with the minimum standards set forth herein, an acceptable plan shall be submitted to the chief building official outlining the time and scope of work necessary to bring the units into compliance. If such plan is accepted by the chief building official as reasonable and justified, an extension may be granted for up to one year for completion of repairs and compliance with this article. No extension shall be granted if life safety issues are involved and any such units shall not be leased until brought into compliance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 49).
Full Breakdown
Section 8-89 of the Dunwoody Code of Ordinances, adopted by Ordinance No. 2010-04-12 and amended by Ordinance No. 2023-06-03, governs habitability inspections for multifamily rental dwellings with four or more units, a term defined broadly to include apartment buildings, boardinghouses, rooming houses, group homes and flats. Before an owner can hold an occupation tax certificate, the owner must supply a code compliance certificate covering 100 percent of the units, issued by a certified building inspector who holds ICC credentials such as property maintenance and housing inspector or building inspector, or who is a licensed architect or engineer.
After the initial inspection, each owner must file a new code compliance certificate every year with the business license renewal, covering at least 20 percent of units annually so that every unit is checked at least once every five years, with exterior building inspections following the same 20-percent, five-year cycle. If the inspector finds a unit out of compliance, the owner must submit a repair plan to the chief building official; an extension of up to one year may be granted, but never where life-safety issues exist, and any noncompliant unit cannot be leased until it is brought into compliance.
Owners and inspectors must keep written inspection records for each unit and produce them to the city within ten business days of a written request; failing to produce records nullifies the certificate for those units. An owner who knowingly files a false code compliance certificate is guilty of a violation for each dwelling or unit misrepresented, and an inspector who knowingly submits a fraudulent report can be barred from filing reports in Dunwoody for up to five years by council resolution.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide the required code compliance certificate is a violation subject to the general penalties in chapter 1 of the City Code, and it also creates probable cause for the city building official to inspect the property at the owner's expense, with unpaid inspection costs becoming a lien on the property. An owner who knowingly certifies false compliance is guilty of a separate violation for every unit misrepresented and can be fined for each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Dunwoody inspect every apartment every year?
Can a landlord lease a unit that failed inspection?
Who can perform the required inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dunwoody
Compare Dunwoody to another location·View the Georgia rental property rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.