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

Section 9-1-94(A) sets the baseline: every dwelling used or held out for human habitation must comply with all of the minimum standards of fitness in Article F, and no owner-occupant may occupy, nor may anyone let to another for occupancy, a dwelling that falls short. Section 9-1-94(B) requires any structural repairs, alterations or improvements made to bring a dwelling into compliance to meet the State Building Code. The article's later sections, 9-1-95 through 9-1-102, spell out the specific standards: sound foundations and floors, weathertight exterior walls and roofing, workable plumbing tied to the sanitary sewer, an operable smoke detector, safe stairs and egress, and freedom from insect and rodent infestation.

Enforcement runs through the Code Enforcement Supervisor rather than the general building inspector. Under Section 9-1-111, a complaint from five or more city residents, or the Supervisor's own inspection, can trigger a preliminary investigation and a hearing held within ten to 30 days, at which the owner may appear, answer, and present evidence. If the hearing finds a dwelling unfit for habitation, the Supervisor can order repair, closing, vacating or demolition. Section 9-1-119 makes it unlawful for an owner to ignore that order, with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense, and it makes occupying a dwelling in violation of a vacate-or-repair order its own separate daily offense. Penalties follow the same civil and criminal track used chapter-wide: a Class 1 misdemeanor plus civil penalties of $100, $250 and $500 for repeat violations within 365 days.