# § 5-10 Priority inspections.

Current through 2026-07-17. Source: City of Balt., Md., Ord. 26-129. Published by the Baltimore City Department of Legislative Reference.

## § 5-10 Priority inspections.

Balt., Md., Code art. 13, § 5-10 (2026)

(a) A Department of Housing and Community Development inspector shall conduct priority inspections of at least 25 priority dwellings each inspection year.

(b) In this subsection, the term “inspection year” means the calendar year.

(c) Based on data from the previous inspection year, the Department of Housing and Community Development shall identify all priority dwellings in the City by January 31<sup>st</sup> of each inspection year.

(d) Upon identifying a priority dwelling, the Department of Housing and Community Development must notify the record owner and, if one exists, the managing operator, of the following:

  (i) the factors that are used to identify rental dwellings as priority dwellings; and;

  (ii) that, because the dwelling is identified as a priority dwelling, a Department of Housing and Community Development inspector shall issue an environmental citation  if a violation of a section of the City’s Property Maintenance Code listed in <cite data-path="1|§40-14|(e)">Article 1, § 40-14(e) {“Provisions and penalties enumerated”}</cite> is identified.

(e) During each inspection year, at least 2 priority inspections must be conducted:

  (1) at least 4 months apart; and

  (2) between the months of February and November.

(f)

  (1) A Department of Housing and Community Development inspector shall attempt to inspect at least a certain percentage of the total dwelling and rooming units in the priority dwelling, as provided for in the table below.

              <table>
                <thead>
                  <tr>
                    <th>Total Number of Units</th>
                    <th>minimum Percentage of Total Units</th>
                  </tr>
                </thead>
                <tbody>
                  <tr>
                    <td>20 - 35</td>
                    <td>40%</td>
                  </tr>
                  <tr>
                    <td>36 - 50</td>
                    <td>35%</td>
                  </tr>
                  <tr>
                    <td>51 - 75</td>
                    <td>30%</td>
                  </tr>
                  <tr>
                    <td>76 - 100</td>
                    <td>25%</td>
                  </tr>
                  <tr>
                    <td>101 - 125</td>
                    <td>20%</td>
                  </tr>
                  <tr>
                    <td>126 - 150</td>
                    <td>15%</td>
                  </tr>
                  <tr>
                    <td>151, or more</td>
                    <td>10%</td>
                  </tr>
                </tbody>
              </table>
            

  (2) A Department of Housing and Community Development inspector shall record for each unit if the inspection was either 'attempted’ or 'completed’.

(g) The Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development or the Commissioner’s designee shall notify the record owner and the managing operator of a priority dwelling that:

  (1) the record owner and the managing operator shall attend a meeting at a time and place determined by the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee to:

    (i) discuss unresolved violation notices, complaints, and property maintenance;

    (ii) establish a schedule for the record owner and the managing operator to abate all unresolved violation notices;

    (iii) establish a schedule for regular property maintenance to prevent future violations; and

    (iv) any other matters deemed appropriate by the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee; and

  (2) failure to attend the meeting described in paragraph (1) shall result in:

    (i) the denial of an application for a rental dwelling license;

    (ii) the denial of an application for a renewal rental dwelling license; or

    (iii) the revocation of a rental dwelling license.

(h)

  (1) The record owner or managing operator of a priority dwelling shall notify all tenants of the date and time of a priority inspection no fewer than 20 days prior to the date of the priority inspection.

  (2)

    (i) The record owner and the managing operator shall deliver to all tenants directions to submit an anonymous request that the Department of Housing and Community Development inspector inspect the tenant’s dwelling unit or rooming unit as part of the priority inspection.

    (ii) The Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development or the Commissioner’s designee shall establish the form and content of the instructions delivered to tenants under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.

*History: *

*History: *