Mayor Buttigieg signs Rental Safety Verification Program ordinance

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg signed the Rental Safety Verification Program ordinance on Wednesday. The city will inspect rental properties for any potential hazards that could affect residents.

Rental properties will require the homes be dry, clean, safe, ventilated, pest-free, contaminant-free, maintained and thermally controlled. It follows HUD's Eight Principals of a Healthy Home.

If a property does not pass the inspection, the owner will need to make repairs or changes to the home.

The program will begin with properties that have active cases with code enforcement, referrals from the Health Department or landlord requests for inspection.

“One of the main motivations for doing this is that it helps us deal with health with the threat of things like lead that can be such a burden on especially low-income families," said Mayor Buttigieg.

Click here for more information about the Rental Safety Verification Program