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Charleston's rental inspection, in operation for about nine months, might have forced (property owner) Shamblin to install proper smoke detectors in all bedrooms as required.

In fact, the home on Arlington Avenue popped up for a random inspection on the city building department's computerized system just last month, said George Jarrett, one of six property maintenance inspectors assigned to the program.

Both Shamblin and the tenant signed off on a form the inspector mailed in advance, notifying the owner of the pending inspection, Jarrett said. But when the inspector arrived on the designated day in late February only an under-aged teen was at home, he said, so the inspector declined to do the inspection.

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