[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of
the Town of East Greenwich 6-22-1993 by Ord. No. 595 as Ch. 8 of the 1993 Code.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Property maintenance — See Ch. 184.
STATE LAW REFERENCES
Rhode Island Housing Maintenance and Occupancy
Code — See R.I.G.L. § 45-24.3-1 et seq.
The rules and regulations provided in this chapter
are hereby adopted pursuant to the authority granted by R.I.G.L. § 45-24.3-1
et seq., and these rules and regulations are deemed necessary for
the carrying out of the purposes of such provisions.
The office of the Minimum Housing Inspector
is hereby established as the enforcing agency, and the Minimum Housing
Inspector is hereby designated as the enforcing officer to enforce
and administer the powers and duties authorized by R.I.G.L. § 45-24.3-1
et seq., entitled the "Rhode Island Housing Maintenance and Occupancy
Code."
The members of the Zoning Board of Review are
hereby designated as the Housing Board of Review to act on appeals
from the decisions of the Minimum Housing Inspector in accordance
with the Rhode Island Housing Maintenance and Occupancy Code. All
hearings of the Housing Board of Review shall be open to the public.
The Board shall keep minutes of its proceedings, showing the vote
upon each question, and shall keep records of its decisions and findings
and the reasons therefor, and of its examinations and other official
actions, all of which shall be filed immediately in the office of
the Board and shall be a public record.
A.
The owner of any rental dwelling or rental dwelling
unit older than 10 years shall notify the Minimum Housing Inspector
of the termination of occupancy of any such dwelling or dwelling unit,
and such owner shall secure the inspection and the written approval
of the condition of the rental dwelling unit or rental dwelling by
the Minimum Housing Inspector before allowing any such dwelling or
dwelling unit to be reoccupied. Notification may be given within 15
days prior to the termination of occupancy. If the Minimum Housing
Inspector shall fail to inspect and grant or deny his written approval
of the condition of the rental dwelling or rental dwelling unit within
10 working days after receiving notice of the termination of occupancy,
the owner of the rental dwelling or dwelling unit shall be deemed
to have complied with the requirements of this section. If such inspection
reveals any violations of the Rhode Island Housing Maintenance and
Occupancy Code, the Minimum Housing Inspector shall issue the appropriate
violation notice to the tenant or to the owner of such rental dwelling
or rental dwelling unit pursuant to such code.
B.
During the ten-day period, it shall be the responsibility
and duty of the owner to make the rental dwelling or rental dwelling
unit available for inspection at the convenience of the Minimum Housing
Inspector.
C.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to
motel, hotel or rooming accommodations intended for temporary or seasonal
use by guests.
D.
Rental dwellings and rental dwelling units that have
been constructed within the ten-year period prior to vacancy are exempt
from the provisions of this chapter. The date of construction is hereby
deemed to be the date of issuance of the initial building permit.
E.
"Dwelling" shall mean any enclosed space which is
wholly or partly used or intended to be used for living or sleeping
by human occupants, provided that temporary housing shall not be regarded
as a dwelling.
F.
"Dwelling units" shall mean any room or group of rooms
located within a dwelling and forming a single habitable unit with
facilities which are used or intended to be used for living, sleeping,
cooking and eating.
