S.B. 653: COMMITTEE SUMMARY                                                     HOUSING INSPECTIONS

Senate Bill 653

Sponsor: Senator Dave Honigman Committee: Local, Urban and State Affairs

Date Completed: 10-17-95

SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 653 as introduced 9-14-95:

The bill would amend the Housing Law to delete current provisions requiring an enforcing agency to inspect at least biennually multiple dwellings and rooming houses regulated by the Law; allowing an enforcing agency to inspect all other regulated dwellings at reasonable intervals; and allowing inspections to be conducted on an area basis, a complaint basis, or a recurrent violation basis. Instead, the bill would permit an enforcing agency to inspect regulated multiple dwellings and rooming houses after the agency had received a written complaint regarding the health or safety of these dwellings. A copy of the complaint would have to be mailed to the owner of the dwellings by registered mail, return receipt requested. The Law also allows an enforcing agency to charge a reasonable fee for the inspections; the bill would prohibit the fee from exceeding the actual costs.

(Under the Law, the governing body of a municipality subject to the Law, or adopting the Law by reference, must appoint a local officer or agency to administer the Law. If no officer or agency is designated, the local governing body is responsible for administering the Law.)

MCL 125.526                                                                                     Legislative Analyst: G. Towne

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have no fiscal impact on State government. The fiscal impact on local governments would vary between municipalities. The local fiscal impact would depend on the number of written complaints received, the cost of the inspections, the number of owners charged an inspection fee, and the degree to which the inspection fee offset the cost of the inspection.

Municipalities that have been inspecting multiple dwellings and rooming houses, and charging for the inspection an amount over the actual cost of the inspection, would lose this revenue source.

Fiscal Analyst: R. Ross

S9596\S653SA

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.

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