As used in this section:
(a) “Agent in charge” means a resident of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, who has been designated by the owner of a rental property located in the City of Maple Heights, to be the local agent-in-charge (AIC), to oversee the maintenance and financial obligations of the property, when the owner of the property does not reside in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The agent in charge must be a resident of Cuyahoga County and register with the City for the property.
(b) “Designated City official” means the Chief Building Official the City of Maple Heights, Ohio or his/her designee.
(c) “Dwelling unit” means a space within a dwelling, comprised of a living, cooking and dining area, a sleeping room or rooms, storage closets and bathing and toilet facilities, all used by only one family.
(d) “Family” means one or more persons not necessarily related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship, occupying a dwelling unit and living as a single housekeeping unit, under a common housekeeping management plan based on an intentionally structured relationship providing organization and stability.
(e) “Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, two or more persons having a joint interest or any other legal or community entity.
(f) “Property owner” means a person, corporation, or limited liability corporation claiming, or in whom is invested, the ownership, dominion, or title of real property including but not limited to: holder of fee-simple title, holder of life-estate, holder of leasehold estate for an interim term of five years or more; a buyer under contract for deed; a mortgagee, receiver, executor or trustee in control of real property; but not including the holder of leasehold estate or a tenancy for initial term of less than five years.
(g) A “Registration of rental property” is a required action/document to be completed by each property owner or AIC according to the requirements of this chapter, before proceeding to rent any portion or building(s) situated on said property(s).
(h) “Rent” means the offering, holding out or actual leasing of a rental unit to an occupant other than the owner and generally involves the payment of a rental amount although other forms of consideration may be involved or no consideration at all may be involved.
(i) “Rental unit” means any dwelling unit; or any rented room within a single family or two-family dwelling or duplex; or the third floor of a two-family dwelling or duplex; or multi-family building, apartment building(s), or multi-family condominiums, or any commercial strip center(s), or commercially leased unit(s), where either money or other valuable consideration is paid for occupancy of such unit, or a person, not the record owner, occupies the unit or operates a business in the unit, whether or not such person pays money or other valuable considerations.
(j) “Tenant” means any person, company, organization, or franchise that rents or leases a rental unit for living, dwelling or business purposes with the consent of the owner or agent in charge.
(k) “Tenant rental license” means the document provided by the designated City official to the owner or agent in charge granting permission to allow a tenant to move into a residential or commercial rental unit.
(Ord. 2007-14. Passed 11-28-07; Ord. 2011-33. Passed 6-15-11; Ord. 2013-74. Passed 12-4-13; Ord. 2014-36. Passed 7-23-14.)