Pandemic forces cities to change in-person inspections for occupied homes, apartments
Saginaw officials are holding off on inspecting apartments and rental homes that are occupied because of the ongoing pandemic.
Other cities, including Arlington and Fort Worth, have also changed how they handle some inspections because of COVID-19.
City Manager Gabe Reaume said Saginaw stopped inspecting occupied rentals because of health and safety concerns for employees, but inspections will continue for rental properties that are unoccupied, he said.
“Because of our nemesis, COVID-19, our inspections of occupied properties have been delayed, but vacant rental units are still being inspected,” Reaume said.
“This program (rental inspections) is probably our best insurance to keep property owners fair and honest and to prevent unsafe, deteriorating conditions.”
Reaume said the building inspectors concentrate on health and safety violations and not cosmetic issues.
Many cities are changing how they handle in-person contact with residents and customers, Reaume said.
Fort Worth’s building standards division of the code compliance department continues to respond to calls for inspections in both single- and multi-family, but whether inspectors arrive in-person varies.
To determine if an in-person inspection is needed, property owners or managers and then tenants are contacted by email or phone.
If a physical inspection is needed, inspectors wear protective gear, distance themselves from others and gather information “as expediently as possible,” Code Compliance Director Brandon Bennett said in an email.
In most cases the goal is to alleviate issues without an in-person inspection, Bennett said.
Arlington Spokeswoman Susan Schrock said in an email that the city’s code compliance department is relying on photos, video-calls and phone calls with the owners, landlords or tenants as much as possible instead of in-person inspections of occupied units.
If code compliance cannot get the evidence or compliance needed from those methods, then the department will seek an interior inspection if the occupant or occupants have not been sick or been around someone sick.
When code compliance does an in-person inspection, the employee wears gloves and a mask and follows social distancing guidelines, Schrock said.
In Euless, code compliance officials are still performing regular health and apartment inspections, spokeswoman Betsy Deck said in an email. However, they do not enter occupied units.
Meanwhile, Reaume said the most important priority is making sure employees and residents are safe.
“In light of the cases increasing, to be safe and responsible for all involved, we made that decision (cancel occupied rental inspections). Nobody likes COVID but we are all working through it to the best of our grace and ability,” Reaume said.
Luke Ranker and Kailey Broussard contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 1:00 PM.