Rental Inspector

Position Objectives:

The City of Central City, Iowa is requesting proposals for a contractor to inspect rental housing units, collect photographic evidence, and determine property maintenance violations as specified in the City’s adopted Rental Housing Code and Property Maintenance Code Chapters 154 and 155.

The successful respondent will work with the City to ensure that compliance with the existing rental units. Initial inspections will be competed within 12 months. Inspect newly registered rental housing units within 30 days. Notify and coordinate inspections with owner. Maintain records, issue certifications, provide monthly reports to the City.  Respondent will be responsible for invoicing the City by providing a monthly statement reflecting the number and type of inspections performed and the number of certificates issued.

The City of Central City will take proposals through May 2, 2025 at 4 pm. The City will conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial evaluation of proposals received in response to this RFP. Proposals should be submitted to City Clerk at City Hall located at 137 4^th St N, Suite 1, Central City, IA  52214. Questions regarding this request for proposals should be directed to City Clerk Traci Wilson at 319.438.1713 or clerk@centralcityia.gov.

The City will not necessarily award the Contract to the Respondent offering the lowest cost to the City.  Instead, the City will award to the Respondent whose responsive proposal the City believes will provide the best value.

If interested, please stop by City Hall and pick up an RFP packet or you can download it off the City website under the Residents then Rental Inspections menu.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Overview

The successful Respondent shall provide the services to the City in accordance with the requirements as provided in this Scope of Work.

 

4.1               Inspections. Provide services to inspect rental housing units, collect photographic evidence, and determine property maintenance violations as specified in the City’s adopted Rental Housing Code and Property Maintenance Code Chapters 154 and 155.

 

4.1.1         Type. The Responsible Contractor shall provide inspections in accordance with the adopted Rental Housing Code and Property Maintenance Code Chapters 154 and 155.

4.1.2         Notification. Notification of required rental housing and property maintenance inspections shall be made by the Responsible Contractor to the owner or authorized agent of the housing unit.

4.1.3         Inspection Requests. Property maintenance inspection requests shall be made by the City to the Responsible Contractor. Customers will be directed to contact the City with complaints, concerns, and requests relating to property maintenance. Requests may be made via email or in writing to the City.

4.1.4         Inspection Times. The Responsible Contractor will coordinate inspections with the owner or authorized agent of the housing units.

4.1.5         Certificate of Inspection. A Certificate of Inspected Housing shall be issued by the Responsible Contractor to the owner or authorized agent and a copy sent to the City upon successfully passing inspection and is valid for three (3) years once the residential rental unit has passed all required inspections per the Code.

 

4.2               Documentation

 

4          

4.1          

4.2          

4.2.1         Records Maintenance. The Responsible Contractor shall maintain records of Rental units, rental inspections, inspection results, certificates of inspected housing, property maintenance investigation requests, investigation results, photographic evidence collected, and all notices of violations, beginning with the effective date of this Agreement, for a period of six years from the issuance date, unless this agreement is terminated sooner. A copy of all record shall be provided to the City. At the end of this Agreement all original records shall be turned over to the City.

4.2.2         Billing Statements. The Responsible Contractor shall provide monthly statements that will reflect the number and type of inspections performed, and the number of certificates of inspected housing issued, and the costs due to the Responsible Contractor from City.

SECTION 5           SPECIFICATIONS

           

Overview

The successful Respondent shall provide the services to the City using the Contract in accordance with the specifications as provided in this Section. The Respondent shall address each specification in this Section and indicate whether or not it will comply with the specification. If the context requires more than a yes or no answer or the section specifically indicates, Respondent shall explain how it will comply with the specification. Proposals must address each specification. Merely repeating the specifications may be considered non-responsive and may disqualify the Respondent. Proposals must identify any deviations from the specifications of this RFP or specifications the Respondent cannot satisfy. If the Respondent deviates from or cannot satisfy the specification(s) of this section, the City may reject the Proposal.

 

5    

5.1   Specifications

All items listed in this section are Mandatory Specifications. Respondents must mark either “yes” or “no” to each specification in their Proposals. By indicating “yes” a Respondent agrees that it shall comply with that specification throughout the full term of the Contract, if the Respondent is successful. In addition, if specified by the specifications or if the context otherwise requires, the Respondent shall provide supportive materials to verify the Respondent’s compliance with the specification. The City shall have the right to determine whether the supportive information and materials submitted by the Respondent demonstrate the Respondent will be able to comply with the Mandatory Specifications. If the City determines the responses and supportive materials do not demonstrate the Respondent will be able to comply with the Mandatory Specifications, the City may reject the Proposal.

 

5.1.1         Inspections – Existing Units (Units that existed prior to 2025). Inspect every rental housing unit in the city for code compliance within 12 months. Unless such units have proof of inspection from 2024.

5.1.2         Inspections – New Registrations. Inspect newly registered rental housing units within thirty (30) days.

5.1.3         Notifications. Notify and coordinate the time of inspections with the owner or authorized agent.

5.1.4         Issue Certification of Inspected Housing. Issue a Certificate of Inspected Housing to the owner or authorized agent and provide the city a copy upon successfully passing a rental unit for proper maintenance.

5.1.5         Maintain Records. Maintain records of Rental units, rental inspections, inspection results, certificates of inspected housing, property maintenance investigation requests, investigation results, photographic evidence collected, and all notices of violations, beginning with the effective date of this Agreement, for a period of six years from the issuance date, unless this agreement is terminated sooner. A copy of all record shall be provided to the City. At the end of this Agreement all original records shall be turned over to the City.

5.1.6         Monthly Reports. By the first Friday of the month provide the City with a record of all rental units inspected and the investigation results, photographic evidence collected, and all notices of violations sent to the owners or authorized agents since the last report to the City.

5.1.7         Billing. Provide monthly invoice statements that reflect the number and type of inspections performed, and the number of certificates of inspected housing issued, and the costs due to the Responsible Contractor from City.

Minimum Requirements:

7.1    Insurance

The Contract will require the successful Respondent to maintain insurance coverage(s) in accordance with the insurance provisions of the General Terms and Conditions and of the type and in the minimum amounts set forth below, unless otherwise required by the City.

 

Type of Insurance	Limit	Amount
General Liability (including contractual liability) written on an occurrence basis	Personal injury Each Occurrence	$1 Million $1 Million
Workers Compensation and Employer Liability	As Required by Iowa law	A required by Iowa law

 

Acceptance of the insurance certificates by the City shall not act to relieve Contractor of any obligation under this Contract.  It shall be the responsibility of Contractor to keep the respective insurance policies and coverages current and in force during the life of this Contract.  Contractor shall be responsible for all premiums, deductibles and for any inadequacy, absence or limitation of coverage, and the Contractor shall have no claim or other recourse against the City for any costs or loss attributable to any of the foregoing, all of which shall be borne solely by the Contractor.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Contract, Contractor shall be fully responsible and liable for meeting and fulfilling all its obligations under this section of the Contract.