(A) General.
(1) Required. No person shall operate, let or cause to be let a rental dwelling unit which has not been properly licensed by the city in the manner required by this subchapter. A license must be obtained for each rental dwelling unit. If two or more rental dwelling units are located within a single building, each rental dwelling unit must have a separate license. Upon receipt of the properly executed application for a rental license, the Code Official shall, after request by the owner on such form as the Code Official requires, cause an inspection to be made of the rental dwelling unit(s) to determine whether it is in compliance with this subchapter, other city ordinances and the laws of the state. Every rental dwelling unit shall be re-inspected after a renewal license application is filed to determine if it conforms to all applicable codes and ordinances.
(2) License application filed. A license application shall be submitted to the Code Official on a form furnished by the city and must contain the following information:
(a) Name, address and telephone number of the owner of the rental dwelling unit(s). This is the address that all future correspondence from the city will be sent to. The owner shall indicate if the owner is a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship;
(b) Name, address and telephone number of any owner’s agent responsible for the management of the rental dwelling unit(s);
(c) Legal address of the rental dwelling unit(s); and
(d) Number and type of dwelling unit(s) (one bedroom, two bedrooms and the like).
(3) Changes in ownership and amended licenses. A license is not assignable. Any changes occurring in the ownership of a rental dwelling unit(s) require a new license. The new owner must obtain a new license within 30 days of acquiring the premises. The fee paid for the new license shall be the fee required for an initial license. If any changes occur in any information required on the license application, the owner must submit an amended license application to the city within 30 days of the change. If any rental dwelling units are added to a current license, the additional rental dwelling units must be licensed by amendment of the current license and must be accompanied by the fee required for the additional rental dwelling units.
(4) Bi-annual licensing. All rental dwelling units shall be licensed before being let, in whole or in part. Licenses will expire bi-annually at midnight on June 1 of even-numbered years. The license for each rental dwelling unit must be renewed bi-annually on or before June 1 of even-numbered years. Rental dwelling units must be registered as a sleeping room, a single-family dwelling, a two-family dwelling or an apartment building. Any unlicensed rental dwelling units are subject to penalties as provided in § 151.99 of this chapter. The fully completed license application must be submitted to the city with the required fee no later than April 15 of the even-numbered year. The owner or applicant must complete such forms as the Code Official requires and arrange for the inspection by the Code Official on or before May 1 of the even-numbered year.
(5) License fee. The license fee required by this subchapter is as set forth in the annual fee schedule per rental dwelling unit. Such fee must accompany the license application. The license fee is doubled when a license application is received more than 30 days after it was due. Exception: rental dwelling units owned or under the control of the city must be licensed, but are exempt from paying license fees.
(6) Record retention. The license application and all other documents pertinent to a rental dwelling unit shall be kept on file in the office of the Code Official. A copy shall be furnished to the owner or other authorized person upon request.
(B) Issuance of license. The city shall issue a license if, following inspection by the Code Official, the rental dwelling unit(s) and the license application are found to be in compliance with the provisions of this section, subject to § 151.08 of this chapter and any required license fees are paid. A license will be issued for each rental dwelling unit. If two or more rental dwelling units are located within a single building, each rental dwelling unit must have a separate license. Rental licenses are not required to be posted, however, the property owner or agent for the owner must be able to present the license if asked to do so.
(Ord. 82B, passed 2-16-2011) Penalty, see § 151.99