Occupant/Owner Responsibilities

  • (a)

    Sanitary maintenance. Every occupant of a dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit shall keep in a clean and sanitary condition that part of the dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit and the premises thereof which he or she occupies and controls. A clean and sanitary condition shall include, but is not limited to, the following standards:

    (1)

    Floors, floor coverings and other walking surfaces shall be kept clean and free of dirt, filth, garbage, human and animal wastes, litter, refuse and any other unsanitary matter;

    (2)

    Walls, ceilings, windows and doorways shall be kept clean and free of dirt, greasy film, soot and any other unsanitary matter;

    (3)

    Plumbing fixtures shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition; and no material shall be deposited in any such fixture which may result in the obstruction of such fixture or of any lines connected thereto. Every occupant shall be responsible for the exercise of reasonable care in the proper use and operation of all plumbing fixtures; and

    (4)

    All screens on windows and doors shall be maintained in good condition. This subsection shall not be construed as requiring any occupant to furnish and install, or cause to be installed, screens on windows or doors at any dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit.

    (b)

    Extermination of insects, rodents, etc. Every occupant of a single dwelling unit shall be responsible for the extermination of insects, rodents or other pests therein or on the premises. Any grounds and structures being used or occupied by such occupant shall be maintained free of insects, vermin, and rodent harborage and infestation by generally accepted methods of extermination.

    (c)

    Garbage and rubbish. Every occupant of a (single) dwelling, dwelling unit (or rooming unit) shall dispose of all garbage and refuse in a clean and sanitary manner and place it in a proper receptacle as required by chapter 58. Discarded or abandoned articles of such bulk as to preclude disposal in such receptacles and refuse not otherwise collected by the city as defined in chapter 58 shall be conveyed by the occupant to the city landfill or some other approved private landfill.

    (d)

    Heat. Where the heating facilities of any dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit are under the control of the occupant thereof, it shall be the responsibility of the occupant to operate such facilities in order to maintain above-freezing temperatures at all times in all portions of the dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit and the premises thereof which he or she occupies and controls so as to prevent injury or damage to water pipes and plumbing.

    (e)

    Removal of required services, facilities, etc. No occupant shall cause any service, facility, equipment or utility, which is required under this article, to be removed or shut off from, or discontinued for, any occupied housing let or occupied by him or her, except for such process, or during temporary emergencies when discontinuance of service is approved by the administrator.

    (f)

    Termination of occupancy. So as to aid in preventing vandalism to the property, the occupant of a dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit shall, upon vacating, secure and lock all doors and windows and openings in the basement and any crawl space and shall leave the premises clean and free from all debris and trash.

    (g)

    Access for repairs. Every occupant of a dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit shall give the owner thereof, or his or her agent or employee, access to any part of such dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit and its premises at all reasonable times for the purpose of making such repairs or alterations as are necessary to effect compliance with the provisions of this article or with any lawful order issued pursuant to the provisions of this article.

    (h)

    Cleanliness of sidewalks, alleys, ditches and street gutters. Every occupant of any dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit bordering any street, lane or alley shall not deposit garbage or rubbish into the street gutters, alleys, or ditches abutting the premises. In any single-family dwelling or in any dwelling where the occupants of a particular dwelling unit or rooming unit have exclusive control over the rear yard, the occupants of such dwelling shall maintain in a clean and sanitary condition, free of garbage, rubbish, bulk trash, or other offensive material, both that portion of the sidewalk and the gutter that abuts the property and that portion of any alley that abuts the property and is bounded by the property lines of the adjoining properties and the mid-point of such alley.

    (i)

    Accumulation of materials inside dwelling. Accumulation or storage of items or materials that result in dangerous, unsafe, or hazardous conditions shall not be permitted in any habitable portion of a dwelling unit.

    (Ord. No. 14271, § 2, 6-4-2012; Ord. No. 15009, § 2, 9-6-2016)


  • (a)

    Prohibited occupancy. No owner shall occupy or lease or permit the subletting to another for occupancy any vacant or vacated dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit which does not comply with the provisions of this article, nor shall any owner let to another any vacant dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit unless it is reasonably clean, sanitary and fit for human occupation.

    (b)

    Number of occupants. Every owner or agent of an owner shall advise, in writing, the occupant leasing or subletting property owned by him or her of the maximum number of occupants permitted in the dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming unit leased or rented.

    (c)

    Sanitary maintenance. Every owner of a multifamily dwelling containing four or more dwelling units and every owner of a rooming house, residency hotel or other establishment covered by section 10-235 shall be responsible for maintaining in a clean and sanitary condition the shared or public areas of the dwelling and premises thereof. A clean and sanitary condition shall include, but is not limited to, the following:

    (1)

    The exterior property areas of all premises shall be kept free of objects and materials, including abandoned or immobile motor vehicles, which may create a hazard to the health and safety of the occupants or surrounding community or which is a public nuisance.

    (2)

    All sheds, barns, garages, fences and other appurtenant structures standing on the premises shall be kept in good repair.

    (3)

    All yard spaces and other open areas adjacent to the dwelling shall be sloped, paved or otherwise constructed to properly drain water around or away from the premises.

    (4)

    All required screens shall be furnished and installed in the dwelling and shall be maintained in good condition.

    (5)

    Any high grass and noxious weeds shall be kept mowed or cut to a height of not more than six inches.

    (d)

    Garbage and rubbish. For every multifamily dwelling containing four or more dwelling units and any rooming house, residency hotel or other establishment covered by section 10-235, the owner shall provide, in a location accessible to all dwelling occupants, an adequate number of receptacles or a stationary bulk refuse container into which garbage and rubbish from the dwelling unit or rooming unit receptacles may be emptied for storage between the days of collection as required by chapter 58. Any stationary bulk refuse container provided by the owner shall meet all of the capacity specifications as stated in chapter 58. The area surrounding the receptacles provided by the owner or the stationary bulk refuse container shall be maintained in such a way as to prevent the scattering of garbage or refuse on the ground.

    (e)

    Removal of required services, facilities, etc. No owner or agent of an owner shall cause any service, facility, equipment or utility, which is required under this article, to be removed or shut off from, or discontinued for, any occupied housing let or occupied by him or her, except for such temporary interruption as may be necessary while actual repairs or alterations are in process, or during temporary emergencies when discontinuance of service is approved by the administrator.

    (f)

    Ratproofing and pest extermination. Every owner of a multifamily dwelling containing two or more dwelling units and every owner of a rooming house, residency hotel or other establishment covered by section 10-235 shall be responsible for the extermination of rodents, or other pests in all dwelling units or rooming units therein and in the shared public areas of the dwelling and premises thereof by an approved method. The owner of any structure shall be responsible for extermination within the structure prior to renting or leasing the structure. Such extermination shall include, but is not limited to the following:

    (1)

    Preventing the entrance by blocking or stopping up all passages, by which rats may secure entry from the exterior with rat impervious material;

    (2)

    Preventing the interior infestation by rat stoppage, harborage removal, the paving of basements, cellars and any other areas which are in contact with the soil, and such cleanliness as may be necessary to eliminate rat breeding places;

    (3)

    Providing screens or such other devices for basement windows which might provide a point of entry for rodents.

    (g)

    Cleanliness of sidewalks, alleys, and gutters.

    (1)

    The owner of any premises bordering any street, lane or alley shall not allow garbage or rubbish to be deposited into the street, gutters, or alleys abutting the premises.

    (2)

    The owner or operator of any dwelling containing more than one dwelling unit and the owner of any rooming house, residency hotel or other establishment covered by section 10-235 shall maintain in a clean and sanitary condition, free of garbage, rubbish, bulk trash, or other offensive material, both that portion of the sidewalk and the gutter that abuts the property and that portion of any alley that abuts the property and is bound by the property lines of the adjoining properties and the mid-point of such alley.

    (Ord. No. 14271, § 2, 6-4-2012)