Every rental market is unique in its economic landscape, investment opportunities, and rental requirements. In St. Louis, there are 88 different municipalities and 10 census-designated places, and they all have their own set of rules and requirements when you rent out a home. Regardless of where in St. Louis you invest, the Occupancy Permit Inspection will be a requirement.
Provide a Vacant Property
Before you can qualify for the Occupancy Permit, you’ll need to have your property inspected. Your property needs to be vacant during this inspection. It has to be done between tenants and cannot be conducted before a tenant moves out or after a tenant moves in. Make sure the home is completely empty before you schedule this inspection. You’re required to have the inspection every time you put the home on the rental market, which means it will have to be done between every tenant.
Scheduling the Occupancy Permit Inspection
Depending on the St. Louis municipality that you’re working in, you may have to wait a week or two to have the inspection conducted. Plan for any potential tenant move-ins and property showings around the inspection date so that you don’t have one thing interfering with another.
Dealing with Deficiencies
Inspectors are always going to find deficiencies, and it’s easy to get frustrated and irritated when you’re presented with a list of things that need to be fixed. However, this is their job, and we have heard through the local real estate grapevine that inspectors have orders to cite something at every inspection they conduct. This is their method of improving the community and making sure rental properties are habitable and secure. Don’t take it personally, and don’t waste a lot of time and energy arguing your point or getting upset. The goal is to take care of whatever you need to take care of and get your tenants moved in and paying rent.
Think of it like you do when a police officer pulls you over for a routine traffic stop. You may feel like you’ve done nothing wrong, but you remain polite, follow their instructions, and move on. Smart St. Louis investors see this inspection as just part of doing business in St. Louis County and St. Louis city.
Take care of the deficiencies that are noted, and you’ll be ready to move forward with the rental process and all the benefits it provides.
This is only one of the things that you’ll need to be prepared for as an investor in St. Louis. There are a number of other local, state, and federal laws and regulations that you need to follow, and compliance is never optional. If you don’t do what’s required, you set yourself up for legal and financial nightmares.
We can always help manage the permit process for you. We know what needs to be done, and we’ve worked with many of the inspectors in the past. Contact us at AMOSO Properties if you need help preparing your property for the rental market or getting all of your requirements met.
