Commissioners address progress of rental inspections

During last week?s special city council meeting, questions were brought up regarding rental inspections. According to the ordinance, all rental properties within city limits must be registered and undergo inspection. A rental property is defined as one where the owner charges a periodic fee for the use of the premises as a living space. Properties being sold by land contracts do not fall into this category.

One resident claimed the process appeared biased and voiced concerns over whether the fees charged were the same for each property owner. In response, the city invited Presque Isle county housing inspector, Tim Spens, to Monday?s scheduled meeting to speak on the allegations and how the process was going in general. ?Overall, I think it?s going pretty good,? Spens stated.

ACCORDING TO the city manager?s report, of the households provided Tim for inspection, he has visited all but two at least one time. However, the city provided the inspector with a list of approximately 24 units, which they anticipated would last him through summer and fall. Although not all landlords have paid at this point, Hefele expects them to be current by this spring when the inspector will receive the remainder of the list, which is currently kept at city hall and includes 47 total occupied rental properties. The fee for inspection is $45 per unit; all of the funds go to Spens. The city retains nothing for the administrative fee and once a rental has passed inspection, it is good for 5 years, which averages out to $9 per year to meet ordinance requirements.

OF THE HO– USEHOLDS inspected, 17 have passed, a few required minor repairs, and two or three needed major improvements. The most

common types of violations included smoke alarms without batteries or electrical outlets that do not meet code. Property owners are allowed an average of three to four weeks to correct any violations. Houses requiring major repair may be eligible for assistance through grant money and those individuals should contact city hall. Housing inspector Spens also stated that many residents had approached him regarding other properties in their neighborhood. He encourages all residents with concerns to contact city hall as he has no control over other violations and is only inspecting the buildings for safety and soundness.

The city?s goal in requiring rental registration and inspection is to standardize the process so future rentals will meet the regulations put into place. According to the city manager?s report, two individuals considering renting out property have recently approached the city to find out what standards they would be required to meet. City officials will be looking into placing the current list of rentals into a computer spreadsheet format so verification of compliance can be easily obtained.