Inspection inside unit

Owners & Tenants of the condo development I live in received a letter recently from the Property Management Company that a five-year cyclical inspection will be conducted. According to them, New Jersey's (The Nanny State) Dept. of Community Affairs, requires this inspection be done of the exterior of buildings and common areas.

The letter also stated that inspection of the inside of each unit will be done to "check fire safety items, such as smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms, to insure that they are operational".

Two dates and times (Wednesday and Thursday between 10am and 2pm) were listed as the days we are to be available to let the inspector in. I, like many others, work 5 days a week and can not take off.

I can test my own smoke detectors. Am I obligated to let an inspector inside my unit.

They threaten to assess monetary penalties if, after 3 attempts to schedule, the unit owner or tenant does not comply.

What are my rights?

As Michele pointed out it would probably be easier in the long run to comply, however the answer as to whether or not the COA can fine you for not allowing them in should be in your CC&R's. While inspectors may be able to force entry into rental property to make sure required safety equipment is present and operational (doubtful) they more than likely cannot do it to your own home without a warrant. That is unless it is allowed in the documents you freely signed when you bought your home. Simply request the MC provide you with the BOD's authority to inspect and / or fine for no compliance.

BTW: Smoke detectors that are 10 years old are near the end of their service life and should be replaced. A smoke detector constantly monitors the air 24 hours a day. At the end of 10 years, it has gone through over 3.5 million monitoring cycles. After this much use, components may become less reliable. This means that as the detector gets older, the potential of failing to detect a fire increases. Replacing them after 10 years reduces this possibility.

I agree, much to do about nothing, accommodate the inspections. If you cannot do it request a different day or time.

But this does bring up an interesting real problem. Lots of condos in resort areas have a lot of absentee owners. Not only is it difficult to schedule a time (in this case the right of entry should be in your covenants), it also brings up the real fact that if no one is in a building or unit, who is going to hear the smoke alarm, even if you have one? Should the board require alarms systems that ring at a central location, such as a security co?

Anyone had an experience with this type system (maybe a new wireless technology).

Thank you Donna,
Oh, for the perfect world.

We have six large buildings 65 units in aggregate. They are spread over a couple of acres. Each unit does have a key in the management office about a mile away. The majority of the time, about 7 months a year, other than an occasional renter there is only 3 or four of us here every day.......sort of. I have been here many many times that I am the sole person present, so..........unusual becomes the usual at times. I suspect this is true in a lot of places and when you think about it, many motels have sparse clients during the off season at tons of places.

I was just curious if there was anyone using a different system than smoke alarms. Here, as I am sure in many places with absentee owners, the batteries give out and no one knows that either as months can go by without anyone entering the unit.
Just the way it is.

But my post was worth it anyway as I got to say hello to you and encourage you to keep up your posting. I suspect we are sort of in the doldrums a little around here. But we have had some successful stories and that is nice.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

I am so glad you said some of US. The Board here think my middlename is "troublemaker". But in the end, most know I got one thing in mind....................the health of the association...........and they forgive me, if not, they know I ain't gonna change. As confusing as all this stuff gets if you keep your direction, it makes decisions a lot easier to make.