Inspectional

Is it OK to have a building inspector evaluate my rental unit?

What does a building inspector charge & how do I chose one? My rental unit has MANY questionable problems that I think may be illegal & NOT up to code. My Landlord is unconcerned & unresponsive to most of these problems. So should I call a building inspector? If they find problems or violations - what happens from there? Can a landlord retaliate after a tenent does this? Thanks:)

Public Comments

1. There are people that work for the city that will come out and do this for free. Call your local city/county office and get the number of the building inspector in your area. Alot of times they will give you the time and date the last inspection was done. Landlord are usually only required to do this every couple of years. You can also report your landlord to the same. A landlord can try and evict you or retaliate in some way, but you will ultimately never be at fault as long as your doing everything you agreed to do as a tenant. If you do end up paying for a private inspector, and problems are found, the landlord would aslo ultimately be responsible for these charges.
2. Building inspectors are not allowed to charge anything to evaulate your rental unit. Building inspectors are paid by the state. Any violations in "building code" will be reported by the inspector'; however, what you "think" is a code violation may not be. I suggest you be cognizant of what you state considers a violation. Of course, the landlord may retaliate.