North Whitehall might start inspecting rental properties

In the wake of an apartment fire in North Whitehall that killed 61 cats and two dogs, the township is going to explore whether to require annual inspections of rental properties.

The July 15 blaze at the three-story apartment building at Route 309 and Game Preserve Road displaced seven people and closed two businesses. The fire inspector said the cause was an electrical problem.

Township Manager Jeff Bartlett told the township supervisors Monday that an annual inspection of each rental property in the township would likely have turned up that the property manager who lived in the building was keeping 61 cats and two dogs. He and his wife reportedly took in abandoned cats.

The township zoning ordinance only allows six pets per home, but Bartlett and his staff don't have the authority to go into someone's home to check out such violations if they get a complaint.

With a rental property inspection ordinance, North Whitehall could hire inspection firms it now uses for new construction, Bartlett said. Those inspectors could check for such health and safety conditions as railings for porches, smoke detectors and working water and sewage.

"We are not talking about anything more than a basic health and safety inspection of the property," Bartlett said.

The inspections could be done at minimal cost, which could be passed on to the tenants, he said, adding that annual safety inspections can bring down a landlord's insurance rates.

"I'm not for over-regulating and creating ordinances just for the sake of creating ordinances," Bartlett said.

Supervisor Chairman Ronald J. Heintzelman and Supervisor Richard Celmer sounded favorably disposed to such an ordinance.

Supervisor Steve Pany said he'd want more information about how many rental properties are in the township and how they would be affected.

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North Whitehall might start inspecting rental properties