Home Inspection Certification Program Planned in Collinsville
A home inspection certification program focusing on health and safety and a Crime Free Housing initiative are being planned in Collinsville, Illinois. An ordinance has been proposed that will lead to the establishment of these two programs and the city is seeking feedback from its residents with regards to the two programs.
According to the city council, they intend to get the opinion of residents first before authoring an official draft that will be voted on. The initial draft for the planned Health and Safety Occupancy Code is to be released in a few days at the city's Web site and at the City Clerk's office. The Code is actually a legislation that has two main provisions.
The first is a guideline that will require tenants and owners of commercial, rental and residential properties to first get a Health and Safety Permit prior to moving in to their premises. They will also be required to get a home inspection certification by passing an ocular examination that will decide whether the property is in violation of any maintenance code that is in place in the city.
Local authorities have clarified though, that new renters and homeowners will not be required to satisfy every single provision of the maintenance code. The focus, authorities explain, will be on aspects that pose imminent danger to the safety and health of occupants, including gas leaks, faulty wiring, mold and smoke detectors that do not work.
Owners that have properties with these problems will have to address them within a month or they would have to pay fines. For more serious cases, city authorities can refuse to provide a permit or revoke it if one has already been issued. This would then make it illegal for the property to be occupied or rented by anyone.
Local officials have stated that the proposed guidelines will help improve safety conditions among homes and buildings and will also aid the city in its effort to increase the values of properties. They also reveal that almost 40% of homes and commercial structures in the city are over 50 years old and most of them are not up to code and are in need of home inspection certification.
