(a) No person shall operate a rental dwelling, multiple dwelling or rooming house unless he or she holds a current, unrevoked operating license issued by the BCO-CEO in his or her name for the specific named multiple dwelling or rooming house.
(b) Every operating license shall be effective for one year from its date of issuance, unless sooner revoked, and may be renewed for successive periods of not more than one year.
(c) The BCO-CEO is hereby authorized, upon application therefor, to issue new operating licenses and renewals thereof, in the names of applicant owners or operators of multiple dwellings and rooming houses. No such license shall be issued unless the rental dwelling, multiple dwelling or rooming house, in connection with which the license is sought, is found, after inspection, to meet all requirements of this chapter and of applicable rules and regulations issued pursuant hereto.
(d) No operating license shall be issued or renewed unless the applicant owner or operator has first made application therefor on an application form provided by the BCO-CEO. The BCO-CEO shall develop such forms and make them available to the public.
(e) No operating license shall be issued or renewed unless the applicant owner or operator agrees in his or her application to such inspections, pursuant to § 1461.01, as the BCO-CEO may require to determine whether or not the multiple dwelling or rooming house in connection with which such license is sought is in compliance with this chapter and with applicable rules and regulations issued pursuant hereto.
(f) (1) No operating license shall be issued or renewed unless the completed application form is accompanied by payment of a license fee as set forth below:
A. Rental dwellings and multiple dwelling units. A permit fee of $25 for each dwelling unit, per each on-site inspection; and
B. Rooming dwelling units. A permit fee of $25 per rooming unit, per each on-site inspection.
(2) Such permit fees may be amended hereafter by resolution of the Board of Township Commissioners.
(3) All rental dwellings, multiple dwelling units and rooming dwelling units are required to be inspected a minimum of once per year.
(g) No operating license shall be issued or renewed for a nonresident applicant, unless such applicant designates, in writing, to the BCO-CEO, the name of his or her agent for the receipt of service of notices of violation of this chapter and for service of process pursuant to this chapter.
(h) No operating license shall be issued or renewed for a resident applicant, unless such applicant has first designated an agent for the receipt of service of notices of violation of this chapter and for service of process pursuant to this chapter when such applicant is absent from the township for 30 or more days. Such a designation shall be made in writing and shall accompany each application form. The applicant may designate any person resident in the township as his or her agent for this purpose.
(I) No operating license shall be renewed unless an application therefor has been made within 60 days prior to the expiration of the present operating license.
(j) Each license shall be displayed in a conspicuous place within the common ways of the multiple dwelling or rooming house. No license shall be transferable to another person or to another multiple dwelling or rooming house. Every person holding an operating license shall give notice, in writing, to the BCO-CEO, within 24 hours after having transferred or otherwise disposed of the legal control of any licensed multiple dwelling, rental dwelling or rooming house. Such notice shall include the name and address of the person succeeding to the ownership or control of such multiple dwelling, rental dwelling or rooming house.
(k) Every owner or operator of a licensed rental dwelling, multiple dwelling or rooming house shall keep or cause to be kept an accurate record of all repairs, alterations and equipment changes related to this chapter or to any rules and regulations pertaining hereto, and of all corrections made as the result of inspections by the BCO-CEO. Such record shall be made available to the BCO-CEO by the owner or operator when requested. Every owner or operator subject to this section shall be notified that such record may be used in administrative or judicial proceedings pursuant to this chapter. The BCO-CEO shall, upon the issuance of a license as required in this section, advise the licensee of the necessity for such records and the manner in which such records shall be kept.
(l) Whenever, upon inspection of the licensed multiple dwelling, rental dwelling or rooming house, or of the records required to be kept by subsection (k) above, the BCO-CEO finds that conditions or practices exist which are in violation of this chapter or of any applicable rules and regulations issued pursuant hereto, he or she shall serve the owner or operator with notice of such violation in the manner hereinafter provided. Such notice shall state that unless the violations cited are corrected within a reasonable time, the operating license may be suspended.
(m) At the end of the time the BCO-CEO has allowed for correction of any violation cited, the BCO- CEO shall reinspect the multiple dwelling, rental dwelling or rooming house, and if he or she determines that such conditions have not been corrected, he or she may issue an order suspending the operating license.
(n) Any person whose license to operate a multiple dwelling, rental dwelling or rooming house has been suspended shall be entitled to a reconsideration of the order or a formal hearing, in the manner hereinafter provided by this chapter. If no request for reconsideration or petition for hearing reaches the BCO-CEO within 21 days following the issuance of the order of suspension, the license shall be revoked. However, prior to revocation, any person whose license has been suspended may request a reinspection upon a showing that the violations cited in the notice have been corrected.
(o) If, upon reinspection, the BCO-CEO finds that the multiple dwelling, rental dwelling or rooming house in connection with which the notice was issued is now in compliance with this chapter and with applicable rules and regulations issued pursuant hereto, he or she shall reinstate the license. A request for a reinspection shall not extend the suspension period, unless the BCO-CEO grants such request.
(p) Any rented single-family dwelling owner whose tenant has six police complaints against the tenant or property will have its operating license and its use and occupancy license suspended. After three complaints, the owner will be notified, via certified mail, that there have been three complaints against their tenant or property and after an additional three complaints the operating license and/or use and occupancy license will be withdrawn for one year.
(q) Any owner who has been notified that there have been six complaints and his or her use and occupancy license and his or her operating license have been withdrawn. Once notified of the six complaints the owner shall have seven days to start eviction proceedings and show proof and court date to the township. If proof is not shown in seven days, a citation shall be issued on a weekly basis until proof is shown of eviction proceedings. After the tenant is evicted, the one year suspension will commence.
(Ord. 616, passed 5-20-1987; Res. 96-05, passed 1-17-1996; Ord. 837, passed 4-19-2006; Ord. 936, passed 7-15-2015; Ord. 968, passed 3-15-2017)