What does the Linn County
Property Maintenance Code cover?
The
following list covers most of the provisions of the International Property
Maintenance Code (2012).
- Structure is not an “unsafe structure” –
i.e., dangerous to life and health; doesn’t protect or warn occupants in the
event of fire; collapse of the structure is possible.
- No “unsafe equipment” – i.e., heating
equipment, elevators, wiring, or flammable liquid containers that are in such a
condition that they present a hazard to life, health, property, and
safety.
- Structure is not “unfit for human
occupancy” – i.e., in disrepair, lacking maintenance, unsanitary,
vermin-infested, contains filth or contamination, or lacks ventilation,
illumination, sanitary or heating facilities to the point where it is not fit
for human occupancy.
- Structure is not an unlawful
structure – it wasn't erected or altered illegally and it is
not occupied by more persons than permitted by law.
- Exterior is clean, safe, and
sanitary.
- Grading
and drainage – No erosion or standing water in the yard.
Gutters and downspouts are in good condition. Water from downspouts discharges
away from the house and doesn’t cause a nuisance.
- Sidewalks and driveways are in proper repair and free of hazardous
conditions.
- Rodent harborage – if rats and mice are present, they
are promptly exterminated and precautions are taken against
reinfestation.
- Structural members are free from deterioration.
- Outbuildings, including fences and walls, are sound and in
good repair.
- Inoperable motor
vehicles – no inoperative or unlicensed motor vehicles;
no vehicles in a state of major disrepair or disassembly.
- No graffiti, marking, or
carving on surfaces.
- Swimming pools and hot tubs are in good repair and protected
by a fence.
- Building exterior is in good repair, structurally sound, and
sanitary. Exterior walls are weatherproof and coated, with no peeling or chipped
paint, and metal surfaces are not rusty. Joints in building material, including
mortar joints, are watertight. Exterior walls are free of holes,
breaks, and loose and rotting material. Decorative features & overhang
extensions are in good repair; they are properly anchored, in a safe condition,
and painted.
- House number is legible from the street, with a minimum
4-inch letter height and ½-inch stroke width.
- Foundation walls are plumb and free from cracks and breaks, and
don’t have holes that allow entry of rodents or other animals.
- Exterior stairs, deck, porch,
and balcony are structurally sound, properly anchored, and are
able to support the required loads.
- Handrails and guardrails on stairs with more than 4 risers or on
standing surfaces more than 30 inches high.
- Chimneys are in good repair.
- Windows, door frames, and
skylights are in good repair
and weathertight. No broken glass. Screens must be provided between April 15 and
October 15.
- Security – Doors, windows, and hatchways are secure and
lockable.
- Doors are in good condition; locks to room
work.
- Interior of building is in good repair, structurally sound, and
sanitary.
- Interior structural
members are sound and can support the required
loads.
- Interior surfaces are clean and sanitary, with no peeling or
chipping paint, no cracked plaster, or decayed wood.
- Interior stairs and walking
surfaces are in sound condition; handrails and
guardrails are in good repair, well-fastened, and support the load.
- Interior doors – every interior door fits reasonably well, is
properly secured, and opens.
- Rubbish and garbage – no accumulation; a disposal container is
available.
- Insects, roaches, and
rodents – All interior areas are free from
infestations. When an infestation occurs, it is promptly exterminated by a
process that is not injurious to human health. This section will not be applied
to Asian lady beetles, individual spiders, or box elder bugs.
- Light – habitable room has natural light (windows)
equal to 8 percent of the floor area. Stairs and halls in multi-unit apartments
have lights equivalent to 60 watts of incandescent light 200 square feet, not
more than 30 feet apart. Lighting fixtures are provided in every room except
living rooms, dining rooms, and closets.
- Ventilation - openable windows equal to 3.6 percent of the
floor area in every room, except for bathrooms which may be mechanically
ventilated. Bath fans shall vent outdoors.
- Emergency egress (escape) conforms to the code in effect at the
time of construction. Shall be operable without keys, special tools, or special
knowledge.
- Clothes dryer exhausts to the outside.
- Minimum room
areas – minimum 7-foot ceiling height (minimum 6 feet, 8 inches
in a basement). Smallest room dimension (width or length) =7 ft. Minimum bedroom size 70 square feet; minimum total area 50
square feet per bedroom occupant, minimum living room area 120 square feet.
- Bathroom facility is required. Access to bathroom cannot
be through a bedroom.
- Water heaters are capable of maintaining 110°F; no gas water
heater is in a bathroom or occupied room; a piped relief valve discharge extends
to within 3 to 6 inches of the floor.
- Plumbing fixtures are properly connected and in working order
without damaging deterioration, with no leaks, and adequate clearance for
operation; proper venting and backflow prevention.
- Electrical – 60-amp service minimum; two outlets per
habitable space; one outlet in laundry, either grounded or GFCI-protected; one
receptacle in each bathroom, which shall be GFCI-protected if new.
- Smoke alarms in each bedroom and in the hall outside
bedrooms, and on every story; wired with battery backup if and construction has
taken place.
- Mold is not present in quantities that might affect
health. Mold itself is not addressed in the IPMC, but the condensation, leakage,
and drainage problems that contribute to mold generally are included.
|