No person or owner as defined herein, shall rent, lease, sublease, offer for rent or lease, or allow another person to occupy any non-owner-occupied residential dwelling or unit without a property registration issued by the City. In the absence of a current property registration, the Chief Building Official may order the owner to take immediate legal action as may be required to vacate the premises, including eviction proceedings.
(a) Upon the adoption of this ordinance, any person or owner of a rental and/or non-owner-occupied residential dwelling or unit must register the rental and/or non- residential dwelling or unit within one hundred eighty (180) days after June 1, 2023 . After the expiration of the initial one hundred eighty (180) day period, an owner of a dwelling or unit that was once owner occupied and then converted to a non-owner-occupied residential dwelling or unit after the original registration period, must register the non-owner-occupied residential dwelling or unit within forty-five (45) days of the non-owner-occupied residential dwelling or unit becoming non-owner occupied, whether or not the dwelling or unit is occupied.
(b) Inspections contemplated in this ordinance shall commence June 1, 2024. All rental and/or non-owner-occupied dwellings and/or units shall be inspected at least every three (3) years. As an incentive, fees necessary for operating this program shall either be calculated and charged on a fully allocated hourly rate and/or a fixed, graduated rate which and shall cover the cost of said program.
(c) Non-emergency inspections shall be scheduled by the City. Notices for requests for non-emergency inspections shall be mailed or emailed to the property owner and/or occupants two weeks in advance of inspections. Inspection staff may also contact the property owner and/or tenant by phone to schedule said inspection. The code inspection official, their employee, or subcontractor shall present credentials to the owner and/or occupant and request entry. If the structure or premises is unoccupied, the code official shall first make reasonable effort to locate the tenant, owner, or owner's authorized agent or other person having charge or control of the structure or premises and request entry. If entry is refused, the code official shall have recourse to the remedies provided by law to secure entry. In a non-emergency situation where the owner or occupant of any dwelling refuses entry to a unit or dwelling, the Director of Public Safety, Chief Building Official, Chief of Police, or Fire Official shall obtain a warrant from the appointed administrative hearing officer or a court of competent jurisdiction according to applicable law. In a non-emergency situation , the property owner and/ or occupant shall be afforded the opportunity for pre-compliance review as to the need for an inspection before a neutral decision maker according to law.
(Ord. 002-2023. Passed 1-3-23.)