[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Trainer 10-8-2015 by Ord. No. 744. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Building construction  — See Ch. 80.
Housing — See Ch. 146.
Rental property — See Ch. 202.
Subdivision and land development — See Ch. 230.
Zoning — See Ch. 265.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
COMMON AREA
All areas of a building within which a dwelling is located, both interior and exterior, but which are not interior to a dwelling unit.
DWELLING
A building or structure, except temporary housing, which is wholly or partly used or intended to be used for living or sleeping by human occupants.
DWELLING UNIT
A room or rooms located within a dwelling and forming a single habitable unit with facilities which are used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking and eating.
EXTERIOR PROPERTIES
The open space on the premises under control of the owners or operator of such premises.
IMPROVED PROPERTY
Any property containing improvements whether residential, commercial or accessory structures.
LANDLORD
Person, firm, corporation, association, or other entity owning, managing, or acting as agent for the owner or manager of a rental unit.
RENTAL DWELLING
A dwelling unit which is rented or leased, with or without written documentation. This shall include, but is not limited to, houses, apartments, and boarding and rooming houses.
RENTAL UNIT
Any building, structure, or part of a building or structure, which is leased, rented, let out, or otherwise occupied by any person other than the owner of the property. A rental unit includes a residential structure or a portion of a structure, such as a house, apartment, boarding room, or motel room; and includes commercial, business, and industrial buildings and structures and portions of buildings and structures.
SALE
The transfer of ownership of and/or title to property from one person or entity to another.
TENANT
Any person, firm, corporation or other entity that rents, leases or occupies any improved property from a landlord, other than the owner of the property.
VIOLATION
Any noncompliance with any building, housing, health safety, fire, electrical, plumbing, heating, or other code or standard established or adopted by the Borough of Trainer.
No person, firm partnership, corporation or agent thereof shall sell or permit to be sold any improved property without first obtaining a certificate of occupancy from the Borough. At the time of application, the applicant shall pay an inspection fee to the Borough in an amount as set forth by resolution, approved by Borough Council.
No person, firm partnership, corporation or agent thereof building or adding to an addition to an existing structure shall occupy or permit the same to be occupied without obtaining a certificate of occupancy from the Borough as set forth by the same procedure as in §§ 101-2 and 101-7.
A. 
No person, firm, or corporation managing, conducting, owning or operating a dwelling or dwelling unit shall rent, lease, let out or permit to be occupied or shall re-rent the same without first obtaining a certificate of occupancy from the Borough, as set forth by the same procedure as in §§ 101-2 and 101-7.
B. 
No person, firm or corporation managing, conducting, owning or operating any commercial business or industrial building or structure of any kind or nature shall occupy such building or structure, rent, lease, let out, or permit such building or structure to be occupied, or shall re-rent the same without first obtaining a certificate of occupancy from the Borough, as set forth by the same procedure as in §§ 101-2 and 101-7.
C. 
A certificate of occupancy issued for a rental unit must be renewed annually. A certificate of occupancy is revocable for any violation of this chapter. It is specifically provided that if any inspection and issuance of a certificate of occupancy has occurred as a result of a change of occupancy, the certificate issued shall be valid until 12 months have expired from the date of approval of the certificate. It is the specific intention of the Borough to provide for an inspection at the time of a change in occupancy or the expiration of 12 months, which ever should occur first.
D. 
A separate certificate of occupancy for any rental property or other structure containing more than two dwelling units must be obtained annually upon the inspection of all common areas of the property.
A new tenant registration is required at the time of a change in occupancy. This requirement is in addition to the requirement for an annual tenant registration as required in Chapter 202, Article I (Requirement to File List of Tenants).
In order to be eligible for a certificate of occupancy, said dwelling or dwelling unit must comply with all ordinances of the Borough of Trainer and laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania now in existence or hereafter passed pertaining to building, plumbing, electrical, zoning, health and safety, fire or fire prevention, minimum housing standards and all departmental regulations established pursuant to said ordinances and laws.
A. 
All requests for certificates of occupancy must be made to the Borough on the application form supplied by the Borough.
B. 
All required fees must be paid at the time of application in an amount as set forth by resolution approved by Borough Council. An inspection of the property will be scheduled within 30 days of application. The owner or owner's agent must be present at the time of the inspection.
Upon completion of an inspection, if any violations exist the occupancy permit will not be issued. An inspection report will be issued with all violations listed. Upon correction of all violations, a new certificate must be applied for and a reinspection conducted. The required reinspection fee must be paid to the Borough.
Owner or owner's agent must be in possession of a certificate of occupancy before allowing any structure to be occupied.
All rental properties, for human habitation, will be posted upon vacancy by the appropriate Borough representative. The Department of Code Enforcement will be notified of all of said postings.
Any violation of this chapter, including but not limited to a failure to apply for a certificate of occupancy when required, a failure to obtain a certificate of occupancy prior to occupancy of a dwelling unit by a new tenant, and/or failure to make repairs within the time period prescribed by the Department of Code Enforcement, shall be considered a summary offense with a maximum penalty of $1,000 and 90 days' imprisonment. Each day on which a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.
The Code Enforcement Officer is authorized and directed to make inspections to determine whether dwellings, dwelling units, rooming units, and premises located within the Borough conform to the requirements of this chapter. For the purpose of making such inspections the Code Enforcement Officer is authored to enter, examine, and survey at all reasonable times all dwellings, dwelling units, rooming units, and premises. The owner or occupant of every dwelling, dwelling unit, rooming unit, and its premises shall give the Code Enforcement Officer free access thereto at all reasonable times for the purpose of such inspection, examination and survey.
Whenever the Code Enforcement Officer determines that there are reasonable grounds to believe that there has been a violation of any provision of this chapter, he shall give notice of such alleged violation to the person responsible, therefore which shall:
A. 
Be in writing.
B. 
Contain a statement of the reason why it is being issued.
C. 
Allow a reasonable time for the performance of any act it requires (30 days maximum).
D. 
Contain an outline of remedial action, which, if taken, will effect compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
E. 
Be served upon the owner or his agent, or the occupant, as the case may require. Such notice shall be deemed to be properly served upon such owner or agent, or on any such occupant, if a copy thereof is:
(1) 
Served upon him personally;
(2) 
Sent by certified mail to his last known address; or
(3) 
Posted in a conspicuous place in or about the dwelling affected by the notice.
Any dwelling or dwelling unit which shall be found to have any of the defects set out in this chapter shall be declared unfit for human habitation and shall be so designated and placarded by the Code Enforcement Officer when the person responsible has failed to correct the conditions set forth in a notice issued in accordance with § 101-13.
No person shall deface or remove the placard from any dwelling or dwelling unit which has been condemned as unfit for human habitation and placarded as such, except as may be provided.
Any person affected by any notice or order relating to the condemning and placarding or a dwelling or dwelling unit as unfit for human habitation may request and shall be granted a hearing on the matter before the ICC Property Maintenance Board of Appeals under the procedure set forth in this chapter.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dwelling or dwelling unit upon whom a notice of violation or compliance order has been served to sell, transfer, mortgage, lease or otherwise dispose of the dwelling to another until the provisions of the notice of violation or compliance order have been complied with, or until such owner shall first furnish to the grantee, lessee or mortgagee a true copy of any notice of violation or compliance order issued by the Code Enforcement Officer. A transferee, lessee or mortgagee who has received actual or constructive notice of the existence of a notice of violation or compliance order shall be bound by such notice as of the date of the transfer without further service of notice upon him.
B. 
The owner to whom a dwelling or dwelling unit has been transferred may consent to make repairs which have been required by a notice of violation from the Code Enforcement Officer, by signing an agreement with the Borough agreeing to make the repairs required by the violation notice on or before a date as determined by the Code Enforcement Officer. Upon receipt of such agreement, the Code Enforcement Officer may issue an occupancy permit to be held by the Borough until such time as the repairs are completed by the new owner of the dwelling or dwelling unit. The form of this agreement shall contain the following.
(1) 
Identity of the owner.
(2) 
Description and location of the dwelling or dwelling unit.
(3) 
List of all required repairs.
(4) 
The date upon which repairs will be completed.
(5) 
Executed and notarized signatures by both the new owner and the Code Enforcement Officer.
If any sentence, clause, section, or part of this chapter is for any reason found to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such unconstitutionality, illegality or invalidity shall affect or impair any of the remaining provisions, sentences, clauses, sections or parts of this chapter would have been adopted had such unconstitutional, illegal or invalid sentence, clause, section or part thereof not been included herein.