No dwelling unit, be it a single-family dwelling unit, apartment
in a duplex or multiple-family structure, dormitory, group home, health-care
facility, residential-care facility, supervisory-care facility and
any or all combinations thereof or parts thereof or other living quarters
may be occupied until such time as the owner or his agent or the tenant
has secured an occupancy permit, to be issued by the City Code Enforcement
Officer or his authorized representative. Occupancy permits are not
required for owner-occupied dwelling units.
The application for the occupancy permit shall disclose the
following information:
A. The address of the dwelling unit.
B. The name and address of the owner and rental agent, if any.
C. The name of the tenant or tenants, including the name of the head
of the household and the name and relationship of each family member
who will occupy the dwelling unit.
D. The number of rooms within the dwelling unit.
G. General condition of the premises.
H. The term of the lease or rental, if the tenant does not own the dwelling
unit.
I. Such other information as the City Code Enforcement Officer may require.
Upon receipt of the completed occupancy permit application,
the City Code Enforcement Officer shall cause a preliminary inspection
of the dwelling unit to be made. No occupancy permit shall be issued
or renewed unless the applicant, owner or operator agrees in the application
to such inspections as the City Code Enforcement Officer may require
to determine whether the regulated residential property in connection
with which such occupancy permit is sought is in compliance with the
provisions of this chapter.
If the preliminary inspection reveals that the dwelling unit
is structurally sound, clean and habitable and contains no accumulations
of refuse or debris and no signs of pest infestation and if the preliminary
inspection provides adequate indication that plumbing, heating and
electrical systems are properly installed and maintained in a sale
operating condition and if the dwelling unit has sufficient space
to accommodate the number of individuals named on the application
within the space restrictions contained in the City Housing Code, then the City Code Enforcement Officer or his authorized
representative shall issue the occupancy permit, which shall be good
for a period of one year. When, however, there is a change of tenants
within the one-year period, an inspection must take place prior to
occupancy of the unit. Said occupancy permit will not be renewed unless
prior bills for inspection have been previously paid. Each occupancy
permit must also be renewed for successive periods which are not to
exceed one year. Each occupancy permit shall be displayed in an obvious
place within the common ways of regulated residential properties.
No occupancy permit shall be issued or renewed unless the completed
application form is accompanied by payment of an inspection fee in
the amount of $20 for each dwelling unit and/or rooming unit.
Every owner or operator of licensed regulated residential properties
shall keep or cause to be kept records of all requests for repair
and complaints by tenants which are related to provisions of this
chapter and of all corrections made in response to such requests and
complaints. Such records shall be admissible in any administrative
or judicial proceeding pursuant to the provisions of this chapter
as prima facie evidence of violation or the correction of violations
of this chapter.
Whenever, upon inspection of licensed regulated residential properties or of the records required to be kept by §
362-7 of this chapter, the City Code Enforcement Officer finds that conditions or practices exist which are in violation of the provisions of this chapter, he shall serve the owner or operator with notice of such violation by personal service or, if such personal service is not practicable, by certified mail to the last-known address of said owner or operator. Such notice shall state that unless the violations cited are corrected within 30 days, the occupancy permit shall be suspended. When, however, the violations affect health, safety or sanitation, the time allowed for correction shall not exceed 48 hours. In the alternative, the City Code Enforcement Officer may elect to proceed under the City BOCA Code then in effect.
At the end of the time allotted for correction of any violation
cited, the City Code Enforcement Officer shall reinspect the regulated
residential property, and, if he determines that such conditions have
not been corrected, he may issue an order suspending the occupancy
permit.
Should any word, sentence, paragraph or section of this chapter
be declared invalid for any reason whatsoever, it is the intent of
the Mayor and Council of the City of Shamokin that it would have enacted
all other portions of this chapter independent of the word, sentence,
paragraph or section declared invalid.
This chapter shall take effect immediately upon adoption.