Homeowner's Responsibility

Requirements

The appearance and safety of the property reflects on the appearance of the neighborhood and the welfare of the occupants. No person shall occupy, as owner-occupant or rent to another, any housing unit that does not comply with the following requirements:

  • Every foundation, exterior wall, and roof shall be weather-tight, water-tight, rodent-proof, and be kept in a good state of maintenance and repair.
  • Every interior partition, wall, floor, and ceiling shall be capable of affording privacy, kept in good state of repair, and so maintained as to permit them to be kept clean and sanitary.
  • Rain water shall be drained and conveyed from every roof so it will not cause dampness in the walls, ceilings, or floors of any room.
  • Every window, exterior door, and basement hatchway shall be weather-tight and kept in a good working condition, well maintained and repaired.
  • At least one window in each habitable room, toilet room, and bathroom where windows are required, shall be supplied with a screen covering at least one-third of the window area, except when other means of adequately ventilating such rooms are available and operating.  Screens shall have a wire mesh of not less than No. 16.
  • Protect exterior wood surfaces from the elements and against decay by paint or other approved protective coating applied in a workmanlike fashion.
  • Every inside and outside stairway, every porch, and every appurtenance shall be constructed as to be safe to use and capable of supporting the load that normal use may cause to be placed thereon, and kept in a sound condition and in a good state of maintenance and repair.
  • Every supplied plumbing fixture and water and waste pipe shall be properly installed and maintained in good, sanitary working condition and in accordance with the plumbing codes of the City and State.
  • Every chimney and supplied smoke pipe shall be adequately supported, reasonably clean, and maintained in a good state of repair in accordance with the City Building and Heating Codes and the State Building and Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Codes when applicable.
  • Every bathroom and toilet room floor shall be maintained to be reasonably impervious to water and as to permit such floor to be kept in a clean and sanitary condition.
  • Every supplied facility, piece of equipment, or utility required under the housing code shall be so constructed or installed that they will function properly and shall be maintained in good working condition.
  • Whenever infestation exists in two or more dwelling units in any dwelling, or in the shared or public parts of any dwelling containing two or more dwelling units, or whenever infestation is caused by failure of the owner to maintain the dwelling in a rat-proof or insect-proof condition, extermination shall be the responsibility of the owner.
  • Every owner of a dwelling containing two or more dwelling units shall be responsible for maintaining a clean and sanitary condition in all communal, shared, or public areas of the dwelling and premises which are used or shared by the occupants of two or more dwelling units.
  • No owner shall occupy or rent to any other person for occupancy or allow any other person to occupy any vacant dwelling unit unless it is clean, sanitary, free of infestation, and complies with all provisions of this chapter and all rules and regulations adopted.

Occupant’s Responsibility

  • Cleanliness of the dwelling unit and premises, which is occupied or controlled, shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
  • Disposal of garbage and rubbish shall be performed in a clean and sanitary manner by placing it in proper garbage storage containers and disposing of it as required by Chapter 9, Green Bay Municipal Code.
  • Every occupant of a dwelling containing a single dwelling unit shall be responsible for the extermination of any insects, rodents, or other pests on the premises; and every occupant of a dwelling unit in a dwelling containing more than one dwelling unit shall be responsible for such extermination within the unit occupied whenever dwelling unit is the only one infested; provided whenever infestation is caused by failure of the owner to maintain a dwelling in a rat-proof and insect-proof condition, extermination shall be the responsibility of the owner.
  • Every occupant of a dwelling unit shall keep all supplied plumbing fixtures in a clean and sanitary condition and shall be responsible for their proper use and operation.
  • Every occupant of a dwelling unit or rooming unit shall be responsible for the repair or replacement of any part of required residential real estate, required supplied fixtures and equipment, required supplied furnishings, and other required property of an owner when such has been willfully or wantonly damaged, mutilated, or defaced by such occupant.