Community Code
Community Code Enforcement is responsible for enforcing ordinances designed to protect the life, health, safety, and welfare of our citizens as well as property values for residential and certain commercial properties within the City of Rocky Mount. For more information, please contact the Community Code Division at 252-467-4952, 252-467-4959, or [email protected].
Minimum Housing Code
The City's Minimum Housing Code is addressed in Chapter 11 of the Code of Ordinances and is enforced by the Community Code Division. The ordinances are primarily geared towards single-family dwellings and limited multi-family structures. Boarding houses with more than four units are considered to be commercial structures and are handled by the Planning Department. The minimum housing code is intended to remedy and prevent the decay and deterioration of places of human habitation or intended for human habitation, and/or certain abandoned structures by providing minimum requirements for the protection of the life, health, welfare, safety, and property of the general public and the owners and occupants of places of human habitation. Dwellings found to be in violation of the Minimum Housing Code are categorized as deteriorated or dilapidated. According to the minimum housing code, a dwelling is deemed to be deteriorated if the cost of repairs required to bring a structure into compliance with the minimum housing code costs 40% or less of the tax value of the structure. When the repair cost exceeds 40% of the tax value of the structure, it is considered dilapidated. Deteriorated dwellings must be brought into compliance if they are occupied. Dilapidated dwellings must be brought into compliance or demolished.
Abatement of Public Nuisances
Public Nuisances are addressed in Chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances and are enforced by the Community Code Division. Items addressed within the ordinances include grass and weeds; nuisances such as refuse, trash, and waste; improperly stored animal or vegetable matter; appliances and the like stored outdoors; and vacant, unsecured residential structures. Owners issued a notice in conjunction with a violation of this ordinance are given seven (7) days to abate the violation or the City will do so and bill the property owner.
Graffiti
Graffiti is addressed in Chapter 14, Section 14-15 of the Code of Ordinances and is enforced by the Community Code Division. Graffiti is considered to be a public nuisance and is defined by the ordinance as any inscription, word, figure, painting or other defacement that is written, marked, etched, scratched, sprayed, drawn, painted, or engraved on or otherwise affixed to any surface of public or private property, natural or man-made, by a implement or chalk, without the prior written consent of the property owner. Once cited by the Division, a property owner is given seven (7) calendar days to remove the markings. In the absence of action by the property owner to abate, the City may remove the graffiti from the property and bill the owner.