Neighborhood Services & Enforcement inspects owner-occupied housing, commercial properties, secondary structures (ex: garages, sheds, fences), and vacant rentals. Occupied residential rental structures are inspected through the Rental Safety Verification Program under the Health and Housing team .
Departmental Process
- When an inspector observes a housing violation, a letter is sent to the owner with details on the housing violation(s) along with the deadline for the repairs to be completed by.
NOTE: The number of days an owner is given to repair the property varies based on the type of violation. There are also special circumstances/emergency situations which may cause this process to be sped up.
- Typically, housing violations follow this general repair/securement guideline:
- Broken Window/Door Violation – allows the property owner 10 days to secure the structure.
- Substandard Housing Violation – allows 30 days to repair the structure.
- Once the time period for repair/securement has passed, the inspector will reinspect the property to see if the violation was repaired.
- If the violation was repaired/secured by owner, the case is closed.
- If the violation is still present:
- Broken Window/Door violation – Neighborhood Services & Enforcement will facilitate the board up of the property with a local contractor and bill the property owner for work performed (plus an administrative fee).
- Substandard Housing violation – Neighborhood Services & Enforcement will continue to reinspect the property every 30 days.
- The property will be prepared for the hearing process as either a repair or demolition case.
- Property owners will receive tickets and/or civil penalties (up to $5,000 per hearing) if the property continues to remain in disrepair.
- If the property is affirmed for demolition through the hearing process, Neighborhood Services & Enforcement will conduct asbestos testing and facilitate the demolition of the property. Neighborhood Services & Enforcement will bill the owner of record for the demolition (plus administrative fees).
Common Housing Violations include: roofs that are not weather tight, substandard or inoperable plumbing, electrical wiring or heating systems, deteriorated and unsound structures, open cracks and breaks in foundation walls, lack of adequate heat and hot water, holes and rotting boards in exterior walls.
View the Neighborhood Neighborhood Services & Enforcement brochure.
View the Landlord Registration brochure.
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Phone
574.233.0311 |
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Address
227 West Jefferson Blvd. Suite 1300 S South Bend, Indiana 46601 |
