Inspections ahead for rentals in Celina

The city of Celina will begin expand its code enforcement program to include the inspection of single-family homes that are used for rentals.

The City Council recently approved an amendment to its sustainability programs ordinance to codify its Commercial Site Integrity Program. Part of that includes implementing multifamily sustainability in January of 2021 and then implementing single-family sustainability in January of 2022.

Dusty McAfee, director of development services, said the program has three pieces – a registration requirement, a safety inspection of the interior and exterior of the house and a nominal fee.

“As far as the safety inspection, it looks for things like the GFI plugs, electrical panels, smoke detectors … hot water heater pressure relief valves, things of that nature,” McAfee said. “The safety inspection ensures that our housing stock, as it ages, isn’t going into disrepair. The goal is to prevent neighborhood decline, protect property values and ensure our housing stock is inspected.”

McAfee said the city staff would prefer to conduct the inspection between tenant change out, although neighborhood complaints could also increase the frequency of the inspections.

“A lot of times it’s an opportunity for code enforcement to work proactively with the property owner and ensure their investment is protected,” McAfee said.