(a) Effective January 1, 2020, each owner of a property, both residential and commercial, as defined in Section 1486.01(f), or the agent in charge as defined in Section 1486.01(a), of a rental unit within the City shall register all such rental units on a rental registration form, per owner or agent in charge, with the Building Department on an annual basis, no later than March 31 of each calendar year for a non-refundable rental registration fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per owner or agent in charge. If the owner or agent in charge acquires additional rental units during the calendar year then, within thirty days after the date of acquiring ownership or transfer of the title, and while the unit is still vacant, the owner or agent in charge shall file an updated rental registration with the Building Department for a non-refundable fee of thirty-five dollars ($35.00). The form to be used by the owner or agent in charge to register all their rental units shall be contained in a "rental registration packet" available from the Maple Heights Building Department. A separate rental registration packet shall be required for each owner or agent in charge.
(b) The "rental registration packet" shall contain all necessary forms and information required by the Building Department, including rental registration forms for the owner or agent-in-charge to register all their rental units, proof of full payment of property taxes for each residential and commercial rental property or documentation of being on a county payment plan in good standing, and tenant forms, including a tenant information form for each of the owner's or agent in charge's rental units listed on the rental registration form and a completed Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA) form for both the owner and each of its tenants. The rental registration packet forms, including the tenant forms, must be completed and returned to the Building Department by January 31 of each calendar year and before any tenant shall move into the unit.
(c) Upon return of the rental registration forms for the owner or agent-in-charge to register all their rental units the annual rental registration fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) set forth in subsection (a), shall be required to be paid by the owner or agent in charge.
(d) Effective January 1, 2021, upon return of the tenant forms, including a tenant information form for each of the owner's or agent in charge’s rental units listed on the rental registration form and a completed Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA) form for both the owner and its tenants, a "tenant rental license" fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) per rental unit shall be required to be paid by the owner or agent in charge, for the first unit owned and thirty-five dollars ($35.00) for each additional unit owned. This tenant rental license fee shall not be required to be paid again by the owner or agent in charge so long as there is no change of tenants in the owner's or agent in charge's registered rental units. If there is a change in tenant(s) of the rental units after the owner or agent in charge has submitted its annual rental registration form then the owner or agent in charge must file an updated rental registration packet with the Building Department and pay an updated rental registration fee of thirty-five dollars ($35.00) as set forth in subsection (a) and pay an additional tenant license fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). If there is more than one tenant change during a calendar year than the owner or agent in charge shall be required to pay thirty-five dollars ($35.00) for each additional tenant license fee.
(e) Upon payment of the tenant rental license fee the designated City Official shall require a general inspection of the rental unit, of which cost is included in the tenant rental license fee. The purpose of the inspection is to insure each rental unit is safe, healthy and habitable and in compliance with City, Cuyahoga County and Ohio health, safety, building and maintenance laws, rules and regulations. Within thirty days after the inspection, if the rental unit does not pass the inspection, the City Official shall provide to the owner or agent in charge by regular mail, a list of the violations for the rental unit or property that do not comply with the health, safety, building and maintenance codes. Upon re-inspection of the rental unit for code compliance, a re-inspection fee shall not be required for the first re-inspection, but will be required for subsequent inspections or for non-appearance of the owner or agent in charge of the property during the inspections. When the rental unit and property passes the inspection, the Building Official or the designee shall mail to the owner or agent in charge a "passed inspection report" and a "tenant rental license" for the tenant's occupation of the rental unit.
(f) A rental registration and a tenant rental license are not assignable or transferable, and shall be reapplied for with each change in ownership or transfer of title, and upon a change of tenant(s) in the rental unit as set forth in subsection (e).
(Ord. 2007-14. Passed 11-28-07; Ord. 2009-08. Passed 2-18-09; Ord. 2011-33. Passed 6-15-11; Ord. 2013-74. Passed 12-4-13; Ord. 2014-36. Passed 7-23-14; Ord. 2015-05. Passed 3-4-15; Ord. 2018-18. Passed 12-18-19.)