Easton PA Rental Inspection Checklist: 2026 Landlord Guide

Reviewed September 3, 2026. Easton requires regulated rental units to be registered and licensed. Most regulated units are placed on an inspection cycle of at least once every four years; rooming-house and short-term rental units are inspected at least annually. Use this checklist to prepare, then confirm your property’s current requirements with the City of Easton Bureau of Codes at 610-250-6724.

Important: This is a practical summary, not a substitute for the City’s inspection, the current ordinance, or legal advice. The City’s own guide says its checklist is not a complete list of everything an inspector may evaluate.

Start With Easton’s Official Rental Sources

• Residential Rental Properties Licensing & Inspection program — the City’s program overview and Bureau of Codes contact information.
• Official four-page Rental Inspection Guidelines — the City’s commonly inspected exterior, interior, fire-safety, plumbing, and mechanical items.
• Chapter 456, Article III — the current licensing, registration, inspection, owner-duty, and enforcement rules.
• Chapter 285 fee schedule — current registration, reinspection, missed-entry, reinstatement, and appeal fees.

The online code lists Ordinance No. 5942, adopted July 22, 2026, as the latest amendment affecting Article III. That is why an older blog post, saved PDF, or contractor checklist should not be your only source.

Easton Rental Registration Deadlines

Chapter 456 uses a ward-based annual schedule. The current code lists these regular filing dates and final receipt dates:

• College Hill: regular deadline March 15; registration must be received no later than May 15.
• Downtown: regular deadline May 15; registration must be received no later than July 15.
• South Side: regular deadline July 15; registration must be received no later than September 15.
• West Ward: regular deadline September 15; registration must be received no later than November 15.

If you are unsure which area, license type, or deadline applies, contact the Bureau of Codes before paying. Short-term rentals, rooming houses, vacant-but-available units, and owner-occupied properties can have different treatment.

Current Registration and Inspection Fees

For a standard regulated rental unit, the current fee schedule lists a $75 registration amount at the regular deadline, $105 at the first late tier, and $135 at the next late tier. Short-term rentals, rooming-house rooms, and government-owned units use different amounts.

• Initial inspection and first reinspection: $0 under the current fee schedule.
• Third inspection: $100 per standard regulated rental unit.
• Fourth or later inspection: $150 per standard regulated rental unit.
• Missed appointment or no entry: $100.
• License reinstatement: $150 per standard regulated rental unit.

Fees can be amended. Verify the amount shown in the City portal or Chapter 285 before submitting payment.

Easton Rental Inspection Checklist

Use the sections below for a pre-inspection walk-through. They summarize the City’s official guidelines, but they do not guarantee a pass.

1. Exterior, Grounds, and Structure

• Make the street address visible on the front of the main structure and use numbers that contrast with the background.
• Remove weeds, debris, inoperable vehicles, and sidewalk tripping hazards.
• Repair peeling paint, damaged siding, rotted wood, broken windows, unsafe fences, garages, and sheds.
• Check the roof, chimney, gutters, downspouts, foundation, porches, decks, stairs, handrails, and guards for damage or unsafe conditions.
• Confirm required garbage and recycling containers are available.
• For a fire escape, have the required professional-engineer inspection and report; the City guide states this is required every five years.

2. Doors, Windows, and Interior Surfaces

• Number every unit in a two-unit or multi-unit building; identify every room in a rooming house.
• Make egress doors easy to open without special tools, keys, or knowledge. Double-keyed locks on exterior egress doors are prohibited.
• Make windows operable and able to stay open with their own hardware; repair locks and install sound screens.
• Clean floors, walls, counters, sinks, tubs, cabinets, and windows; repair damaged flooring and peeling interior paint.

3. Electrical and Fire Safety

• Install switch and receptacle covers, panel blanks, and protective globes or covers on light fixtures.
• Label the electrical panel and correct visibly unsafe or improperly installed equipment.
• Do not use extension cords as permanent wiring or to power heaters, air conditioners, or similar equipment.
• Test smoke alarms in each bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every story. Maintain required hardwired and interconnected systems.
• Provide a minimum 5-pound ABC extinguisher rated 2A-10BC in the kitchen area of each unit and in basements of multi-unit buildings; keep annual professional inspection tags current.
• For applicable fire-alarm or protection systems, keep annual professional testing and the required NFPA 72 documentation available.

4. Bedrooms, Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Mechanical Systems

• Check bedroom area and ceiling-height requirements before treating a basement, attic, or small room as sleeping space.
• Repair plumbing leaks and damaged sink cabinets; confirm toilets, tubs, sinks, traps, and ventilation work properly.
• Clean and test the stove, refrigerator, kitchen exhaust, and other supplied equipment.
• Check the water heater installation, venting, and temperature-pressure relief-valve discharge pipe.
• Vent clothes dryers outdoors and confirm heating and mechanical equipment is safely installed and operating.
• The City guide calls for fuel-fired heating systems and chimneys to be inspected, cleaned, and certified by a qualified professional within the preceding 12 months.

What to Have Ready Before the Appointment

• A current business license and rental registration information.
• Owner and manager contact details, plus the required adult-occupant information.
• Current fire-extinguisher, alarm-system, fire-escape, heating, and chimney records that apply to the property.
• Safe access to every unit, common area, basement, attic, yard, garage, and accessory structure that may be inspected.
• The owner or designated manager available to accompany the Code Enforcement Officer.

If the owner does not live or work within the distance required by Chapter 456, review the local-manager rules before the appointment. The current code generally requires an out-of-area owner to designate a manager who lives or works daily within 30 miles of Easton.

What Happens If the Property Does Not Pass?

The Code Enforcement Officer provides written notice of violations and a correction period. A re-check follows after the work is completed. The current fee schedule includes the initial inspection and first reinspection, while later inspections can carry additional fees.

A license can be suspended, revoked, or not renewed for unresolved violations or unpaid amounts. Chapter 456 also permits fines of up to $1,000 plus costs upon conviction, and a continuing violation can be treated as a separate offense for each day after notice. The actual response depends on the violation and the City’s enforcement process.

Repair, List, or Sell the Easton Rental As-Is?

An inspection notice does not automatically mean a cash sale is the best choice. If the property is in good condition and you have the time and money to complete the work, listing it on the open market may produce a higher price.

A direct sale may be worth comparing when the property has expensive repairs, repeated inspection problems, difficult tenancy, or carrying costs you no longer want. Review the Easton cash-sale process, learn about selling a rental property with tenants or landlord fatigue, and compare the numbers with a traditional listing before deciding.

Selling as-is can remove the repair burden, but it does not erase municipal disclosure, buyer-notification, title, or closing requirements. Easton’s Buyer Notification Inspection program applies to property sales, so confirm the process with the Bureau of Codes and your title or legal professional.

Official Sources and Review Date

This guide was reviewed on September 3, 2026 against the City of Easton’s rental-program page, official inspection guide, current Chapter 456, and Chapter 285 fee schedule. Requirements and fees can change; verify current instructions with the City before relying on this summary.

Still deciding how to sell? Compare a cash buyer with a traditional real-estate listing using the likely sale price, repair budget, commissions, holding costs, timing, and certainty—not speed alone.