NC H554

Requires counties and cities to have reasonable cause before conducting periodic inspections of residential buildings, defined as: (i) landlord/owner has substantial history of noncompliance with unsafe building ordinances; (ii) report of substandard conditions or occupant inspection request; or (iii) actual knowledge of unsafe condition from routine county/city business activities.

Allows counties and cities to conduct periodic inspections without reasonable cause only within Community Development Block Grant geographic areas designated as blighted or potentially blighted by the board of commissioners, Department of Commerce Division of Community Assistance, or U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Prohibits discrimination between single-family and multifamily buildings or between owner-occupied and tenant-occupied buildings when conducting inspections.

Prohibits counties and cities from: requiring residential rental property registration; requiring permits/permission to lease or rent residential property; conditioning Certificate of Occupancy on enrollment in governmental programs; or levying special fees/taxes on residential rental property not applied to other commercial and residential properties.

Applies to both county inspections under G.S. 153A-364 and city inspections under G.S. 160A-424, effective upon becoming law.