Unpermitted Electrical Work

[Jack B.]

Hi everyone, I hope everybody is having a good start to the year. I am looking to sell my only rental property, which is a duplex in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. I had the entire property rewired from knob and tube wiring five years ago. At the time, I was very green to hiring contractors, and the entire electrical wire was done without permits. I didn't intend for it to be done unpermitted, I just didn't do my due diligence before I paid $12,000 for this work. I am now looking to sell on my realtor thinks it's going to be a problem. Obviously, that would spook some buyers away. I am unwilling to get retroactive permitting done, because I know that would cost quite a bit. One side of the duplex is occupied, so that would involve opening holes in walls and disturbing that tenant.

I put in my seller's disclosure that it's unpermitted. But my Realtor still thinks it could be a problem.

What would you recommend I do in this case?

[Kenneth Garrett]

@Jack B.

I agree with your realtor.  If you state the electrical work was done without a permit that will become an issue for most buyers, but not all.  In any case, the buyer is going to look for a discount.  They are going to wonder if its safe. 

Did you use a Licensed Electrician for the work?  If you did and they have a good relationship with the city sometimes its not that big of a deal.  If you used an unlicensed electrician that will be a different story.  You can try to have a Licensed Electrician come out and sign off that the electrical work is code compliant; in other words certifying it.

I've been a building and zoning official for a number of years.  This has been my experience.