Watervliet, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 176 § 176-6

A. Except as otherwise provided herein, it shall be unlawful and a violation of this chapter to rent, lease, or otherwise allow the occupancy of any residential rental dwelling unit without the inspection and certification required herein. It shall be the duty of the Building Department or its duly appointed agents to inspect a rented dwelling unit(s) whenever the same becomes vacant or whenever there is a change in occupancy and prior to its being reoccupied, for the purposes of determining whether or not the dwelling unit complies with the provisions of this chapter. It shall be the responsibility of the owner of the rental property to schedule an inspection with the Building Department in order to obtain a rental unit compliance certificate. B. If, upon inspection, said premises do not comply with all applicable provisions of this Code or the Uniform Code, the specific reasons for noncompliance shall be specified in writing and a time limit, not to exceed 30 days, shall be directed for the correction of, or the substantial effort to correct, the deficiencies noted. The notice of noncompliance shall be delivered personally or by mail within seven business days to the owner, agent or person in charge at the address set forth in the Rental Dwelling Unit Registry and to any occupant who so requests. Occupants or proposed occupants of dwellings shall have the right to inspect the rental unit compliance certificate of the residential rental dwelling unit, apartment or multiple residence in which they have an interest at no cost. C. On or after May 1, 2017, the Building Department shall have the right to inspect all or any part of the rented dwelling, including any unit or apartment, or entire multiple residence as required herein or upon complaint, except that the owner, agent, or person in charge thereof shall have the right to insist upon the procurement of a search warrant from a court of competent jurisdiction by the Inspector of Buildings or his or her designee or Code Enforcement Officer, in order to enable such inspection. The officials charged with conducting the inspection pursuant to this article shall be required to obtain a search warrant whenever an owner, agent, or person in charge refuses to permit a warrantless inspection of the premises. D. An owner or agent may file with the Building Department a request for such inspection and the issuance of a rental unit compliance certificate by regular mail or in person at the Building Department. E. Nothing in this article shall be construed to limit the right of the Building Department to inspect any property at any time. If, after issuing a rental unit compliance certificate, the Building Department receives a complaint alleging a violation of this chapter or other chapter of the City Code, other than a violation that creates an imminent hazard to the public health or to the physical or mental health of the occupants of the rental property, the Building Department shall make a good faith effort to notify the owner or agent of the complaint by either telephone or regular mail, before conducting an inspection under this chapter, and shall provide to the owner or agent one working day from the date the owner or agent receives the notice to explain what steps the owner or agent is taking to correct the violation. The Building Department may take steps necessary, by inspection or other means, to assure that the violation is corrected. F. No rental unit compliance certificate shall be issued and no inspecting under this article shall be conducted, unless and until the applicable fee(s) required under this chapter is paid in full to the Building Department and the property owner or agent submits the names and birth dates of all tenants, not to exceed the maximum occupancy as determined by the Code Enforcement Officer. G. No rental unit compliance certificate shall be issued under this article unless the rental dwelling unit is an authorized use pursuant to Chapter 272 , Zoning, and until all other applicable provisions and requirements of the Code of the City of Watervliet are complied with and met. H. No rental unit compliance certificate shall be issued and no inspection shall be conducted under this article unless the property is current and paid to date on its Watervliet City property taxes, including water and sewer.