The state’s Public Health Council recently updated and approved a new sanitary code for the first time in 16 years, giving local landlords and health officials a few extra considerations when inspecting properties.

The new Massachusetts Sanitary Code, which went into effect April 1, outlines new expectations for property owners and landlords, including a requirement to perform inspections for insects and wildlife for any new tenancy and to document that inspection; to ensure the wall behind the sink forms a watertight seal with the countertop; and to ensure closets that aren’t illuminated by the surrounding room have a light source.

“The [Greenfield] Health Department and Board of Health felt it was important to remind tenants and landlords of these changes, so that people are aware of their rights and the expectations under the new code,” Greenfield Health Director Jennifer Hoffman said. “As we conduct inspections, we will put an emphasis on education.”

The new code, the implementation of which was delayed six months to provide landlords time to prepare, also clarifies  that a rooming house is defined as any structure that contains one or more units where space is rented to four or more people for compensation. This includes hotels, motels, boarding houses, bed-and-breakfast operations and hostels. In addition, the code adds an enhanced definition of temporary housing to include cabins and mobile dwelling units, or otherwise “off-the-grid” housing, “with continued local oversight,” according to Cooperative Public Health Services Program Manager Randy Crochier.

“The former code addressed the [major] issues,” Crochier said. “This just cleans it up and makes it easier to read. It addresses things a little differently.”

Greenfield landlord Mark Zaccheo said some aspects of the new code effectively formalize processes he already carries out as the manager of about 100 apartments, including checking for pests. Typically, though, those types of problems are addressed by landlords as they arise.

Still, Zaccheo, who also owns the building that houses the Greenfield Recorder offices, acknowledged that codes, in general, need to be updated over time.

“Generally, over time, codes need to be updated and improved like anything else,” he said. “Ideally, that goes both ways, by ... removing onerous and unnecessary requirements and adding new ones that make sense or weren’t thought about initially.”

In the case of the updates to the state’s sanitary code, Zaccheo said it seemed like there was “very little removing.” In general, he said, health codes should focus more on addressing individual problems as they arise.

“I think without going both ways, you start to get a very complex code,” Zaccheo said. “I think thought has to be put into both.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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