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• Code Corner
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• Construction & Building Permits
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• Housing & Property Code Enforcement
• Rental Property
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Code Corner

Code Corner is the Community Development Division’s opportunity to provide information regarding some of the most frequently asked questions and or violations relating to building construction and property maintenance within the City.

Did you know that….

• IF you own a property in the City and you wish to rent it to another individual, you must first apply for a rental license. Upon completion of an application, and payment of a fee, the City will schedule a Community Development Inspector to inspect the property.
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• ANYTIME a Prince George’s County building permit is required for a home/yard improvement project, a City permit is required.
  
• IT IS the responsibility of the property owner, not the contractor to know the law and make sure the appropriate permits are procured.
  
• IN ORDER that the health, welfare, safety and morals of the citizens and residents of the city be protected from the ill effects of substandard construction or substandard property maintenance, which effects the value of property, all properties within the City are subject to enforcement of the building codes and property maintenance codes of the City. The Code requires that all exterior and interior areas of a property be maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary condition.
  
• YOU CAN construct a storage shed that is less than 150 square feet in your back yard without a permit; but if your storage shed is over 150 square feet or if you have more than one storage shed of ANY size, both a County and City permit are required.
  
• IF YOU construct a fence over 4 feet a City and County permit are required.
  
• OVERCROWDING can cause serious problems. For example, disease spreads more easily, privacy is lost; mental health is affected and buildings are subject to more abuse and wear. Overcrowding is determined by verifying occupancy loads and space requirements with the minimum code requirements. For example the smallest bedroom allowed for one person is 70 square feet. If a bedroom is intended to accommodate more than one person, the room must have at least 50 square feet per person. To see all the requirements to determine if a unit is overcrowded see Chapter 4, Division 4, subdivision 4. Occupancy Limitations.
  
• ALL VEHICLES, whether parked in your driveway, in a parking lot, or on the street must display valid registration plates.
  
• SMOKE detectors are required in all sleeping rooms, in the area immediately outside of the sleeping room or rooms, and on each story level of a dwelling, including the basement.
  
• OCCUPANTS of every property producing garbage shall provide, and at all times cause to be utilized, approved leakproof containers provided with close-fitting covers for the storage of such materials until removed from the premises for disposal.