03-19 New Article 14 to Chapter 6 of the South Bend Municipal Code: Rental Safety Verification Program

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(d) This Article shall be liberally construed and applied to promote its purpose and intent. (e) To assist the Department, as well as owners, with the first-time implementation of the regulations under this article, the Rental Safety Verification Program may have an initial phase-in period of four(4)months. Sec. 6-80. Defmitions. (a) Bedroom means any room or space used or intended to be used for sleeping purposes in either a dwelling or sleeping unit. (b) City means the City of South Bend, Indiana. (c) Code means the property standards pursuant to the International Property Maintenance Code, the International Residential Code, the Municipal Code of the City of South Bend, and the Indiana Unsafe Building Law (d) Code Inspector means an employee of the Department who is charged with the administration and enforcement of this Article. (e) Condemn means to adjudge unfit for occupancy. (f) Condemned with conditions means that as to a unit unfit for occupancy, the owner, or agent of owner, may enter the property from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM to make all the required repairs. (g) Contract of Sale means land contract sales or purchases. (h) Department means the City of South Bend Department of Code Enforcement. (i) Dwelling unit means a single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation. Examples include but are not limited to apartments, single family homes and multi- family homes. (j) Egress means a place or means of going out or exiting. (k) Director means the Director of the Department of Code Enforcement for the City or that person's designee, or in the Director's absence the Deputy Director. (1) Group home means a community home where a small number of unrelated people in need of specialized care, support, or supervision can live together with support and services by trained caregivers. (m) Habitable space means the space in a structure for living, sleeping, eating or cooking. Bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, halls, storage or utility spaces, attics and basements and similar areas are not considered habitable spaces. Finished basements are not considered habitable spaces unless proper egress requirements are met. (n) Indiana Unsafe Building Law means Indiana Code, Title 36, Article 7, Chapter 9, as it may be amended. (o) Inspection Certificate means a certificate issued by the Department, after all fees and penalties due under this Article are paid, that documents that the rental unit has passed the Inspection Report and authorizes the occupancy of the rental unit as compliant with the provisions of this Article. (p) Inspection Cycle means the period between the issuance and expiration of an Inspection Certificate as may be determined under the provisions of this Article. (q) Inspection Report means a report that an Code Inspector prepares after conducting a visual examination of a rental unit, including all its major systems, to verify existence of, and list repairs or improvements necessary to meet minimum property standards for occupancy as referenced in Sec. 6-79. 2