Fort Madison plans to have its new rental property inspection program up and running by July.
City Manager Byron Smith says Fort Madison is finalizing the forms and documents related to the program. It has already received city council approval.
Smith says letters will soon be sent to the owners of rental properties throughout the city. He says it will inform them that property registration will get underway in July, with inspections to begin shortly afterwards.
Smith says the inspections will focus on safety issues. He says one example is electrical outlets, which will be examined to make sure they are not overextended.
Major violations will have to be addressed in a timely manner. The inspections will be done by Fort Madison’s Planning and Zoning Director, Doug Krogmeier, and by Fire Chief Joey Herren.
The registration fee will be $25/property address. An additional $5 will be charged for each additional unit at an address.
Properties will not be inspected by the city if they are already subject to inspection by state/federal agencies.
