Adams Board of Health Revisiting Rental Inspection Fees

Code Enforcement Officer Scott Koczela told the board that it is difficult to do a proper inspection once people move their things into an apartment.

ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Health may add a late fee for landlords delinquent in getting their rental properties inspected.

Code Enforcement Officer Scott Koczela told the Board of Health on Wednesday afternoon that he often gets called to do an inspection after people are already living in an apartment.

"I am forced to move dressers, move things off of counters, and climb over stuff to get to windows," Koczela said. "I can't really do a good comprehensive inspection, and it puts us at liability because, heaven forbid, I knock something over."

Koczela said normally the fee is $25 and many landlords think nothing of moving people in without an inspection. He would like to raise the fee to $50 if renters are moved in too early.

Koczela said there are many repeat offenders and even some of the town's better landlords allow people to move in prior to inspection.

Chairman Allen Mendel said he would like to add an enforcement fee in attempt to stop the problem completely.

"If they were fined $50 and they had to go court there would be more incentive not to do it again," Mendel said. "You say it's repetitive and the same people do it over and over again? At some point, we have to make a stand."

Koczela agreed with Mendel but said bringing people to court will just cost the town more money.

"It is very difficult with the amount of paperwork we have to fill out, the time we have to wait, and the time that we have to spend down there to collect that money," he said. "It would be worth more than $50 in time."

Koczela said the fee has not been looked at in a long time and it would be worth re-evaluating it. The board agreed to look at the rental fee next meeting and possibly overhaul it to find a better way to stop repeat offenders. 

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