If you’re selling—or buying—a home in Minneapolis, St. Paul, or about a dozen other mostly inner-ring suburbs, you’ll run into the Truth-in-Sale-of-Housing inspection (commonly called the “TISH inspection” or just the “TISH”). Sometimes these are called Time-of-Sale, Truth-in-Housing, or other names, but it’s basically the same thing. It’s a safety inspection intended to ensure the housing stock, particularly the older housing stock, in these mostly central cities is safe and that buyers are aware of any deficiencies. Common findings in these inspections include missing stairway handrails, improperly grounded electrical outlets, and a lack of backflow prevention on certain faucets and spigots.
Some cities require this inspection of all housing regardless of housing type (single family, condo or townhome); others only require it of single-family homes. A typical inspection may turn up dozens of hazards, but usually only a handful of these hazards will need to be resolved before the city will allow a sale to go through. In a few cities, St. Paul for instance, the inspection report is disclosure-only, meaning no repairs will be required by the city, since its sole purpose is simply to inform buyers.
In our market, the seller is usually responsible for having the inspection done and completing any required repairs. Ideally, the inspection is done and the results made available to buyers and their agents (usually on the MLS) prior to the home hitting the market. Once any required repairs are done and the home passes re-inspection, a certificate (sometimes called a Certificate or Occupancy or Certificate of Approval) is issued by the city. With this certificate in hand, a sale can proceed. No certificate, no sale. Sometimes no critical hazards are found and the certificate is issued immediately.
The takeaway is that TISH inspections are required by some cities, and not obtaining a certificate of approval will delay a sale. There are a few variations on this inspection (like sewer inspections and energy audits) in other cities in all parts of the Metro. I’ll cover these another time. If you have any questions about the TISH, give me a ring or send me an email.
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