Durham landlords, tenants, and homeowners are now subject to a new set of ground rules for what counts as a livable home—the first major overhaul of the city’s Minimum Housing Code in more than ten years.
The City Council voted to adopt the changes last week, immediately following a public hearing, according to the city’s announcement. Council members had previewed the amendments at a June 4 work session before the formal vote.
The code applies to every residential property inside Durham city limits—not just rentals. This is the code inspectors use to decide when a property violates Durham’s minimum standards.
What’s actually changing
The updated code touches several areas that hadn’t been significantly revised since the mid-2010s…