(a) Each owner of a rental unit within the City shall register each rental unit with the Public Works Office within thirty days of the effective date of this chapter and shall renew such registration annually by January 1. Each new owner of a rental unit within the City shall make application for registration with the designated City official within thirty days after the date of acquiring ownership of a rental unit.
(1) A separate registration shall be required for each rental unit.
(2) Each application for rental registration shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for the first rental unit and thirty-five dollars ($35.00) for each additional rental unit after the first.
(3) If an owner fails to register a rental unit by January 31 or within thirty days of acquiring a rental unit, the registration fee shall be doubled per unit.
(4) Only for the registration year 2020, any persons obligated to pay under this section will be given until April 1, 2020 to pay the full amount due. Thereafter all payments shall be due and owing on January 1st of each year thereafter.
(b) Application for rental registration shall be made upon a form provided by the Public Works Office for such purpose.
(c) After receiving the application and fee, the City official will issue a rental housing registration.
(d) A rental housing registration shall expire on December 31 of each year.
(e) Registration is not assignable or transferable and shall be reapplied for with each change in ownership or transfer of title.
(f) City's remedy for owner's failure to register. If the owner has failed to register within thirty days of January 31 or within sixty days of acquiring a rental unit, the Finance Director shall make a written return to the County Auditor for the fee due under this section with a statement of the fees and a proper description of the premises. Such amounts, when allowed, shall be entered upon the tax duplicate and be a lien upon such lands from and after the date of the entry and be collected as other taxes and returned to the City's General Fund.
(Ord. 5836-19. Passed 12-16-19; Ord. 5867-20. Passed 11-2-20.)