[Ord. No. 6181, 2-3-2020[1]]
The City Council of the City of Sikeston, Missouri, has found
it to be in the best interest of its citizens to preserve the quality
of its housing inventory and to protect its neighborhoods from neglect
and deterioration which act as a threat to health, safety and the
welfare of its people and places.
[Ord. No. 6181, 2-3-2020]
As used in this Chapter, the following terms shall have these
prescribed meanings:
International Property Maintenance Code.
International Fire Code.
Any person living or sleeping in a building or having possession
of a space within a building.
Any person who has charge, care or control of a structure
or premises which is let or offered for occupancy.
See "PROPERTY OWNER."
An individual, corporation, partnership or any other group
acting as a unit.
A lot, plot or parcel of land including any structures thereon.
Any person, agent, operator, firm or corporation having a
legal or equitable interest in the property; or recorded in the official
records of the State, County or municipality as holding title to the
property; or otherwise having control of the property, including the
guardian of the estate of any such person and the executor or administrator
of the estate of such person if ordered to take possession of real
property by a court.
Any premise(s) that is not occupied by the owner including
those premises that are subject to agreements providing for contracts
for deeds, including both vacant and occupied units.
A person, corporation, partnership or group, whether or not
the legal owner of record, occupying a building or portion thereof
as a unit.
[Ord. No. 6181, 2-3-2020]
A.Â
All
residential rental units must conform to Housing Quality Standards
(HQS) established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
as well as the following Sections of the IPMC and IFC:
[Ord. No. 6181, 2-3-2020]
A.Â
Inspections
of residential rental property shall be conducted by staff designated
by the City Manager as Rental Housing Inspectors. The Rental Housing
Inspector duties of these employees shall be independent of and may
be in addition to other duties of said employees. Rental Housing Inspectors
shall inspect residential rental property to ensure compliance with
this Chapter.
B.Â
Rental
Housing Inspectors shall have the authority to enter into and inspect
residential rental properties at any time with the consent of the
property owner, operator, or occupant, or pursuant to any warrant.
C.Â
The
City Manager is directed to develop any appropriate forms, applications
and other materials in order to accommodate this Chapter.
D.Â
The
City shall annually send a letter to all known residential rental
unit physical addresses informing tenants of the provisions of this
Chapter.
[Ord. No. 6181, 2-3-2020]
A.Â
All
property owners of residential rental property shall be required to
fill out and submit a landlord registration form on or before the
effective date of the ordinance enacting this Chapter (2-3-2020),
then annually on or before January thirty-first (31st) of each year,
with the appropriate fee for the rental property or properties as
designated in this Chapter.
B.Â
The
landlord registration form shall contain owner and operator contact
information, the physical address of the residential rental property
or properties, and any other information deemed necessary by the City
Manager.
C.Â
The
property owner shall submit said application to the City Planning
and Development Office together with the landlord registration fee
which shall be as follows:
D.Â
Failure
to timely submit a completed landlord registration form with the requisite
fees set by this Chapter will result in the property owner being found
in violation of this Chapter and subject to a fine of not less than
five hundred dollars ($500.00).
[Ord. No. 6181, 2-3-2020]
A.Â
Interior
inspections of residential rental properties shall take place at the
request of the property owner, operator, or occupant, or pursuant
to any warrant. No regular schedule of required inspections is established
by this Chapter.
B.Â
Exterior
inspections of residential rental properties shall take place on a
complaint basis or upon self-initiated activity by Planning and Development
staff, per the same basis and procedures as any other private property
in the City, regardless of owner or renter-occupied status.
C.Â
The property owner shall have thirty (30) days within which to correct violations of the Compliance Standards defined in Section 510.030, unless the violations present an immediate and serious threat to the life and health of the occupant(s), as determined by the City Manager, in which case immediate correction of the violations shall be required or the property shall be condemned as unfit for occupation. The City Manager’s determination shall be stayed only by judicial injunction.
D.Â
Failure by the property owner to remedy violations within the time frames defined in Section 510.060(C) shall result in the filing of a complaint. Convictions on said charges will result in a minimum fine of one hundred dollars ($100.00) for every thirty (30) days or portion thereof the violation goes un-remedied, up to a maximum fine of five hundred ($500.00).
[Ord. No. 6181, 2-3-2020]
A.Â
Any violation of this Chapter, except violations that present an immediate and serious threat to the life and health of the occupant(s) as determined by the City Manager per Section 510.060(C), may be appealed to the City of Sikeston Board of Appeals, within ten (10) days of the date the notice of violation is mailed to the property owner.
B.Â
Enforcement
of this Chapter shall be stayed until any properly filed appeal is
pending before the Board of Appeals.
C.Â
Meetings
of the Board of Appeals will be called upon receipt of a completed
Board of Appeals application form or at the direction of the Chairperson
of said Board.
D.Â
Notice
of meetings of the Board of Appeals will be posted at City Hall with
the members receiving First Class Mail notice of same.
E.Â
Meetings
will be conducted as soon after filing an appeal as is reasonably
possible.
