Charles County, MD Chapter 81 Minimum Livability Code

[HISTORY: Adopted and amended as indicated in text.]

§ 81-1 General provisions.

[1992, ch. 105]

A. In this section, "Minimum Livability Code" means:

(1) The Minimum Livability Code adopted by the Secretary of Housing and Community Development under Article 83B, § 6-103(a)(2) of the Annotated Code of Maryland;[1] or

[1] Editor's Note: Said provisions were repealed by Acts 2003, c. 5, § 1, effective 10-1-2003.

(2) If the County Housing Code contains provisions that substantially conform to the provisions of the Statewide Livability Code, those provisions in the County Housing Code.

B. Written complaint; inspection.

(1) Within 20 days after the County Department of Community Services receives a written complaint from a tenant of a housing unit or from a designated agent of the tenant, the Code Enforcement Officer shall conduct an on-site inspection of the housing unit.

(2) Within 10 days after the inspection, the Code Enforcement Officer shall provide to the tenant or the designated agent of the tenant a written response that:

(a) Sets forth the results of the on-site inspection; and

(b) Lists any violation of the Minimum Livability Code that the Code Enforcement Officer finds.

C. Firesafety inspection.

(1) Within 20 days after the State Fire Marshal receives a written request from a tenant of a housing unit or from a designated agent of the tenant, the Office of the State Fire Marshal shall conduct an on-site inspection of the housing unit to determine whether the housing unit meets the firesafety standards in the Minimum Livability Code.

(2) Within 10 days after the one-site inspection, the office of the State Fire Marshal shall provide to the tenant or the designated agent of the tenant a written report that:

(a) Sets forth the results of the on-site inspection; and

(b) Identifies in detail any violation of the Minimum Livability Code that the office of the State Fire Marshal finds.

D. Subsections B and C of this section do not require that:

(1) The Code Enforcement Officer or the State Fire Marshal conduct more than 10 inspections under this section in any one month; or

(2) A housing unit be inspected more than once during a six-month period.

E. Southern Maryland Area Self-Help, Inc.

(1) A tenant of a housing unit may designate, in writing, Southern Maryland Area Self-Help, Inc. to serve as the tenant's agent for purposes of requesting an inspection under the Minimum Livability Code.

(2) Southern Maryland Area Self-Help, Inc.:

(a) May complete and deliver a written request for an inspection under Subsections B and C of this section; and

(b) May maintain in its name any action that the tenant may file due to a violation of the Minimum Livability Code, including an action for an injunction or other equitable relief that may be authorized and granted, whether or not an adequate remedy exists at law.