(A) Every owner of rental property shall, prior to permitting occupancy thereof by any person (or, within 60 days of the enactment of this subchapter) register the property with the Code Enforcement Department, or its designee, on forms or other manner as directed. A separate registration is required for each rental property. Registration shall be required annually becoming due on the anniversary date of the initial obligation to register.
(B) Registration pursuant to this section shall contain the name(s), direct mailing address, a direct contact name, telephone number, and e-mail address for the owner, and, if the owner does not reside within 50 miles of the rental property, the name and 24-hour contact phone number for the property manager. The registration shall also identify the name(s), direct mailing address, a direct contact name, telephone number, and e-mail address for the all persons authorized by the owner to occupy the rental property.
(C) (1) At the time of initial registration, each registrant shall pay a non-refundable annual registration fee of $50 for each registration required by this section. Subsequent annual registrations as required by this subchapter are due within ten days of the expiration of the previous registration. Said fees shall be used to offset the costs of:
(a) Registration and registration enforcement;
(b) Code enforcement and mitigation related to rental properties; and
(c) For any related purposes as may be adopted in the policy set forth in this subchapter.
(2) Said fees shall be deposited to a special account in the Village's Department dedicated to the cost of implementation and enforcement of this subchapter and fulfilling the purpose and intent of this subchapter.
(D) Any person or other legal entity that has registered a property under this section must report any change of information contained in the registration within ten days of the change.
(E) If the rental property is sold, the new owner is subject to all the terms of this subchapter. If the new owner does not immediately occupy the property, the new owner shall register the rental property or update the existing registration within ten days of the sale. Any and all previous unpaid fees, fines, and penalties at the time initial registration and/or renewal registrations were required and are subject to enforcement per this article. The previous owner will not be released from the responsibility of paying all previous unpaid fees, fines, and penalties accrued during that owner's involvement with the rental property. The provisions of this section are cumulative with and in addition to other available remedies. Moreover, the village is authorized and empowered to collect on the previous owner's non-payment of previous fees, fines, and penalties in any lawful manner.
(F) If the rental property is not registered, or either the registration fee or the renewal fee is not paid within 30 days of when the registration or renewal is required pursuant to this section, a late fee equivalent to 10% of the registration fee shall be charged for every 30-day period, or portion thereof, the property is not registered and shall be due and payable with the registration. This section shall apply to the initial registration and registrations required by subsequent owners of rental property. Registrations delinquent greater than 30 days are also subject to additional fines as described herein.
(G) Failure of the owner of record to properly register or to modify the registration to reflect a change of circumstances as required by this subchapter is a violation of this subchapter and shall be subject to enforcement by any of the enforcement means available to the village.
(H) If any property is in violation of this subchapter the village may take the necessary action to ensure compliance with and place a lien on the property for the cost of the outstanding obligation and any additional cost incurred to the property into compliance.
(I) Registration of a rental property does not alleviate the owner from obtaining all required licenses, permits and inspections required by the applicable code.
(Ord. 18-1207, passed 9-13-2018)