The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this Chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this Section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
(a) "Code enforcement officer" means any sworn Code Enforcement Constable, County Building Inspector, or City Inspector.
(b) "Landlord" means the owner, lessor or sub-lessor of a rental unit or a managing agent for the owner, or any person authorized to exercise any management of a rental unit, including any person who is authorized to receive any rent or any part of the rent, other than as a bona fide purchaser, and who has no obligation to deliver any portion of that rent to another. It also shall mean any person held out by the owner or the landlord as the appropriate person to accept performance or any person with whom the tenant normally deals as a landlord.
(c) "Perry County authorized agent" means the person or company that is available on a twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week basis and who has been registered with the City Administrators Office as being authorized to accept service for any landlord of any inquiry, notice, complaint or violation regarding the health, safety and condition of a rental unit. In the event that a landlord is a non-resident individual or foreign artificial entity, then a registered agent may serve as the Perry County authorized agent but only so long as that person or company is available in Perry County on a twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week basis to address any inquiry, notice, complaint or violation regarding the health, safety and condition of the rental unit.
(d) "Property owner" means one or more person(s), jointly or severally, in whom is vested all or part of the legal title to property or all or part of the beneficial ownership and a right to present use and enjoyment of the premises.
(e) "Rental agreement" means and includes all agreements, written or oral, that establish or modify the terms, conditions, rules, regulations or any other provisions concerning the use and occupancy of a rental unit.
(f) "Rental unit" means that portion of any house, dwelling unit, dwelling place, building or structure, which is occupied, rented, or leased as the home or residence of one or more persons to the exclusion of all others. A traditional hotel or motel shall not be considered a rental unit.
(g) "Residential rental property" means the entire property on or in which any rental unit is located. By definition, every residential rental property must contain at least one rental unit.
(h) "Rental property registration form" means an application provided by the City Administrator that must be completed for each rental unit that is subject to regulation pursuant to this Chapter.
(i) "Tenant" means any person who occupies a rental unit for living or dwelling purposes with the landlord’s consent.
ARTICLE 3. RENTAL CODE