Proactive Rental Inspections

IF you have received a letter about your rental property you can schedule your inspection here: https://bit.ly/cobprii. 

DO NOT use this link if you have not received the letter. If you would like to schedule an interior inspection to receive a Certificate of Rental Compliance please call 311 and ask for an Rental Registration Inspection.

Introduction

All 1 & 2 family non-owner occupied properties are required to register with the Department of Permits & Inspections via the Rental Registration, even if they are vacant. All occupied properties will be scheduled for proactive inspection by the Department and will be required to maintain a Certificate of Rental Compliance. If a property is inspected and fails to meet the standards for a Certificate of Rental Compliance it will not be permitted to operate as an income property and tenants may not be evicted for non-payment of rent.

The program will be implemented in the summer of 2021 to ensure that these rental properties are safe, habitable and in compliance with applicable city and building codes. 

Because there are over 20,000 rental properties in the City of Buffalo the Department of Inspections will only be able to inspect a limited number of properties every year. In 2021 and early 2022 the department will be inspecting rental properties in The Upper Westside and Schiller Park neighborhoods. A schedule for the rest of the city's neighborhoods will be announced here as it is developed.

Presentations

In collaboration with the Partnership for Public Good (PPG) the Department of Permits and Inspections presented the details of the Proactive Rental Inspection program and took questions from landlords and tenants in the City of Buffalo. The presentations include the history of the program's development, statements of support for the program and legislation from Common Council Chairman Rivera and Councilman Nowakowski, the objectives and design of the program, and information on financial assistance - also listed at the bottom of this page. Recordings of the presentations and the slides are linked below.

Documents

Below is a table of documents, including a general information brochure and templates of letters that will be sent to alert properties for inspection.

Financial Assistance

If achieving code compliance will be financially for difficult for the property owner there may be assistance available. Review the loan and grant funds available below and contact the loan providers to check your eligibility.