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11A Guide to Proactive Rental Inspection Programschangelabsolutions.org Examples of communities that use a licensing approach are Boulder, CO and Baltimore County, MD.63 Ann Arbor prohibits occupancy of a dwelling unless it has a valid certificate of compliance. After a property has been inspected and is determined to be in conformance with the code, the property owner is responsible for applying for the certificate of compliance.64 Ann Arbor also has provisions for the issuance of a temporary certificate of compliance if, due to inspection service scheduling difficulties, an inspection cannot be conducted prior to the expiration of a current certificate.65 In Washington, D.C., to obtain a license to operate a housing business, an owner must allow an inspection of the property to determine that it is in compliance with all applicable building and housing laws and regulations.66 Similarly, Boulder utilizes a licensing scheme to ensure compliance with the city’s property maintenance code prior to occupancy.67 Boulder has provided that in cases where an inspection uncovers deficiencies that cannot be corrected prior to occupancy, the owner or operator may apply for a temporary license, which is issued for a limited time if the number and severity of violations does not constitute an imminent health and safety hazard to the public or to occupants.68 Frequency of Periodic Inspections Whether in conjunction with a registration system or a licensing requirement, the defining characteristic of PRI programs is routine inspection of rental housing. As described above, some localities require an inspection as a prerequisite to initial registration, licensing, or occupancy. Many PRI programs also require additional periodic inspections. The frequency with which localities elect to conduct these inspections is often heavily dependent on the extent of a locality’s resources. In addition to periodic inspections, certain events may trigger, accelerate, or decelerate inspections. Practice Tip In the PRI context, the terms license and registration may be used interchangeably from one locality to the next. Sometimes municipal rental housing registration requirements are standalone – not tied to additional regulatory schemes – and primarily serve the purpose of allowing a locality to index and gather information about its rental properties. In other instances, municipal rental housing registration requirements are the same as license requirements and are part of a locality’s rental housing inspection program. Some municipal PRI programs use the term “certificate of compliance” or “certificate of occupancy” in lieu of the term “license.” Therefore, it is important to look beyond PRI program titles and terminology to understand the actual design and function of a program. LOCALITY FREQUENCY OF INSPECTION Los Angeles, CA Every 3 years Baltimore County, MD Every 3 years Boulder, CO At registration. At renewal of license, which is required every 4 years. Upon transfer of ownership. Ann Arbor, MI Not more than 2.5 years Kansas City, MO Every 2 to 4 years, depending on compliance Grand Rapids, MI Every 2, 4 or 6 years, depending on compliance Boston, MA Every 5 years for most properties. Rental units belonging to chronic offender landlords inspected every three years. Problem properties inspected annually.