Appointment Only

Building Inspection is open to the public by appointment only.

For more on appointments and other services, please see the Building Inspection Services page.

Systematic Inspections

Allied-Carling Inspections »

Building Inspection (BI) has employed systematic inspections for decades. To conduct these inspections, we follow City ordinance 27.09(3)(c).

Tenants have a right to safe housing. We rely on the law to set those safety standards. Yet, as an agency, we rely on complaints to do inspections. That means that renters must have the knowledge and means to open a complaint. Unfortunately, there are many reasons tenants may not call us for help with their housing. Tenants may be afraid of retaliation, which is against the law. Tenants may lack information about their rights or how Building Inspection can help.

Systematic inspections are different. Tenant complaints do not trigger these inspections. To begin systematic inspections, we need a study that shows evidence of blight in an area.

In 2023, we started systematic inspections for the Allied area.

Conducting inspections

Inspectors will look for code violations. These inspections include:

Exterior areas, both buildings and the grounds.
Shared indoor areas, or common spaces.
Inside areas of rental units.

To schedule inspections, property owners must contact your assigned inspector. Inspectors will follow the usual enforcement process.

FAQ

Question	Exterior Inspections	Interior Inspections	Systematic Inspections
What initiates the inspection?	Complaint	Tenant complaint	Blight study that shows a blighted area
Who does the inspections?	City of Madison BI	City of Madison BI	City of Madison BI
What do the inspections cover?	Grounds and exterior of building	Walls, ceiling floors, doors, windows, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc.	Exterior & interior inspections
Who initiates the Inspection process?	Anybody	Tenant	City of Madison BI
Do I need to contact my landlord before I request an inspection?	No	Preferred	No
Does the "Report an Issue" form require tenant information?	No	Yes	N/A
Does the tenant have to be present during the inspection?	No	Yes	No
Will I receive a notification before the inspection?	No	Yes	From housing provider
If repairs are not done by the due date, can the tenant qualify for rent abatement?	Potentially yes	Potentially yes	Potentially yes
Would the inspector return to my apartment for a follow up?	Yes, if there are violations	Yes, if there are violations	Yes, if there are violations
What form do I use to report an issue?	Exterior Housing	Interior Housing	N/A
What is the phone number to contact for questions?	(608) 266-4551	(608) 266-4551	(608) 266-4551