Investor · NH · Member since 2012 · 6 posts · 3 votes
I am under contract on a 4 plex that had a owner occupied unit. He has renovated 3 of the 4 units with the last one about half finished. Should I be worried about the owner (who is a contractor/construction guy) doing all the renovations without permits from the city/county. The property is in San Antonio Tx. I am getting it inspected today and should have the report on it this weekend. Thanks to all. This is a great forum!
Investor and Architect · Ramsey, NJ · Member since 2010 · 305 posts · 84 votes
14y
Any code violations are equally violations whether or not the work was done with a permit. If he has not done the final apartment with a permit then he probably also has not done the other 3 apartments with a permit.
I would ask yourself the question "if the final apartment were not under renovation at this point would I be concerned about whether the other 3 were done without a permit". I guess you would not be.
If you want to inquire "under the radar" you could probably call the state and find out if an owner occupied 4-family requires permits. The local jurisdiction probably follows state laws regarding this. In my state, most work would need a permit for such a property.
You might want to have a registered architect also look at it for you. Most home inspectors are knowledgeable about the physical property but not as much about multi-family life safety codes (in particular fire protection such as sprinklers, interconnected smoke detectors, wall ratings, egress, etc.)
You also might want to obligate the seller to obtain the CO. Otherwise you could be in for a rude awakening when you try to get it.
Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
14y
In my area, there are towns that require permits for stuff that other towns don't need a permit for. So it certainly varies by location whether a permit is needed or not. I typically don't have to worry about permits for non-structural things (paint and flooring for example) in my area; I typically don't have to worry about permits for minor repairs (changing a light switch or fixing a faucet) where a licensed trade might be needed if the job were major. I expect I'll need permits for any electrical re-wiring, and re-plumbing where fixtures move, and certain exterior structural things.
Figure out what needed to be done with a permit, and then you'll have an idea of whether this is acceptable to you or not.