The city council has been discussing rental licensing for more than five years and has held several workshops over the past year.

Almost all the cities in the region have adopted a rental licensing program.  These programs ensure the health and safety of residents living in rental properties including single family homes and multifamily buildings.

This program will ensure minimum maintenance standards are met including proper heating, functioning appliances, lighting, smoke detectors, and that rodents and insects are not infesting properties.

Total apartment units in the community exceed 5,000, with more than a 1,000 of those constructed in the last several years.  As new units come on line, older buildings have deferred maintenance. To provide safe housing for all, a rental housing program provides some protections for tenants while also preserving housing stock.

As part of this program, every complex in the city will be inspected ever three years.  Properties that are identified as having ongoing issues, will have ongoing inspections.

Staff will be proposing a fee schedule that will be adopted at another meeting after council input.  Fees will vary by building size, condition and when a certificate of occupancy was granted.  All units in the city, including single family homes that are rented, must register.

For 2022, a housing rental inspector, who is a licensed building inspector, will be hired.  They will do initial meetings with property owners and managers.  A second inspector will be budgeted for 2023.  Inspectors will need vehicles, laptops and cell phones.  We will also be upgrading our existing EPortal for registrations and inspections.

Inspector 2022 w/benefits       $100,000

Vehicles  (one time)    $110,000

Inspector 2023 w/benefits $100,000

Cell service                  $2,000

Laptops/Ipads     $6,000

Rental Inspection Module (one time) $80,000

Inspection program expenses will be paid out of fees received and from permit revenue from the Building Department program.