UPDATED: Time of Sale Inspection Program Amended Ordinance

The City of Bloomington seeks input on the adopted ordinance change related to Time of Sale housing inspections.

The purpose of the Time of Sale Housing Inspection Program is to enhance the supply of safe, sanitary and adequate housing and to prevent the deterioration of the overall housing stock in the City thereby protecting the general health, safety and welfare of residents. The Program applies to single and two family dwellings and has been in effect since its adoption in August of 1995.

In October 2021, the City Council adopted the Time of Sale Energy Disclosure to move forward the Council’s priority for reducing our carbon footprint by providing valuable energy data to home sellers and buyers through the energy disclosure report that will supplement the Time of Sale housing inspection. The Time of Sale Energy Disclosure goes into effect April 1, 2022.

Through analysis of the existing data and re-evaluation of the dated Time of Sale Program, staff proposed to the City Council to bring the Program completely in-house, within the Building & Inspections Division. This realignment will allow staff to mitigate current inconsistencies that have been reoccurring within the program such as: varying fees between independent inspectors, timeliness of reports being processed, inspection quality and consistency. The proposed change also streamlines the process for the homeowner/applicant so they have only one call to make and payment to one entity - a one stop shop approach. The updated program will provide more equitable reports as well as a streamlined process for a higher level of customer service to the residents and realtors within the community.

In addition to these program changes, in October 2021, the City Council adopted the Time of Sale Energy Disclosure to move forward the Council’s priority for reducing our carbon footprint by providing valuable energy data to home sellers and buyers through the energy disclosure report that will supplement the Time of Sale housing inspection. The Time of Sale Energy Disclosure and updated inspection program go into effect April 1, 2022.

Staff will continue to seek input on the amended ordinance. Check back for future opportunities to participate or submit questions below.

NEW: Realtors are invited to connect with staff from Building and Inspections to provide input on the TOS workflow at a virtual meeting on Wednesday, March 16 from 2 to 3 p.m. on Zoom.

If you are unable to attend on March 16, the presentation will be available on this page after the meeting and comments can be shared directly with Bernadette Gillespie (bgillespie@BloomingtonMN.gov).

Watch a video to learn about the Time of Sale Energy Disclosure.