[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Souderton as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 10-4-2004 by Ord. No. 647 (Ch. 73, Art. I, of the 1972 Code)]
The purpose of this article is to provide for the equitable distribution of the tax levies in the Borough of Souderton among its residents; to protect and promote the health, safety and welfare of the residents of the Borough and particularly the occupants of rental units and commercial units; and to encourage the owners of residential rental units and commercial units to maintain said units in a safe and sanitary condition.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context:
BUSINESS OWNER
The owner, manager or principal supervisor of any business or profession occupying a commercial unit in the Borough of Souderton.
CODE
Any ordinance, code, law or regulation in effect for the Borough of Souderton concerning fitness for habitation or the construction, maintenance, occupancy, use or appearance of any building, dwelling unit, commercial unit or structure, including but not limited to the Zoning Ordinance; International Building, Plumbing, Electrical, Fire Prevention and Property Maintenance Codes, as promulgated by the International Code Council; Chapter 535, Solid Waste, and Chapter 415, Nuisances, of the Code of the Borough of Souderton.
COMMERCIAL UNIT
A professional or business office, retail store or establishment, financial institution, school, restaurant, bakery, club, recreational facility, personal service shop, medical or dental office or facility, manufacturing enterprise or any similar use, whether owned or leased. Such units shall not be subject to the annual registration requirements of this article, but shall be subject to periodic inspections by the Code Enforcement Officer as set forth in this article.
LANDLORD
The owner of any residential rental unit or commercial unit rented or offered for rent within the Borough of Souderton.
OCCUPANT
Any person actually residing in or occupying a residential rental unit or a commercial unit.
RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNIT
An apartment, dwelling house, room or group of rooms rented or offered for rent for residential purposes. The term shall not include an in-law suite as defined and permitted under § 1408 B(5) of the Souderton Borough Zoning Ordinance No. 405, as amended; nor shall the term include a hotel as defined in § 200 of the Souderton Borough Zoning Ordinance No. 405, as amended.
TENANT
Any person who has the right of occupancy, either singly or with others, of a residential or commercial unit owned by a landlord, for a period of time exceeding 30 days.
A. 
It shall be the duty of every landlord owning one or more residential rental units in the Borough of Souderton to annually register all such units with the Borough of Souderton on a registration form supplied by the Borough. Said registration form shall be filed with the Borough Manager during the month of January of each year and shall include the following information concerning each residential rental unit owned by such landlord:
(1) 
The address of each residential rental unit and unit designation or apartment number.
(2) 
Description of such residential rental unit, including the number of rooms.
(3) 
The name of each person occupying the residential rental unit.
(4) 
Any physical change or structural alteration of the residential rental unit occurring during the preceding calendar year.
B. 
The aforesaid registration form shall be accompanied by the payment of an annual registration fee as set by resolution of the Borough Council per residential rental unit.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
Upon receipt of the aforesaid registration form and fee, the Borough Manager shall issue a permit for each residential rental unit so registered. It shall be the duty of each landlord to conspicuously post such permit at the residential rental unit.
It shall be the duty of every landlord owning one or more residential rental units in the Borough of Souderton to file with the Borough Manager a report of any change in the use or occupancy of any residential rental unit. The reported changes shall include the name of every new tenant in such residential rental unit, the forwarding address of the former tenant, if known, and the effective date of such change. All reports required by this section shall be made within 10 days after a landlord has knowledge that a residential rental unit has had a change in use or occupancy or has become vacant.
The Code Enforcement Officer of the Borough of Souderton is authorized and directed to make periodic inspections of each residential rental unit and each commercial unit in the Borough of Souderton at least once every three years in order to safeguard the health and safety of the occupants, employees, customers and clients thereof and in order to determine and enforce compliance with the codes, laws and regulation applicable to such units and the structures containing such units. The Code Enforcement Officer is further authorized to enter for the purpose of such inspection all residential rental units and commercial units and the structure containing such units at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice. It shall be the duty of every landlord, business owner and tenant to provide access to such units upon request by the Code Enforcement Officer.
The Code Enforcement Officer shall issue a written report of each inspection and shall supply a copy thereof to the landlord, the tenant(s) occupying the unit and/or the business owner. The report shall detail the items inspected and shall note all deficiencies and violations observed during such inspection. The report shall state the corrective action or repairs required to be taken by the landlord, tenant or business owner of such unit and the date by which the corrective action or repairs are required to be completed. The Code Enforcement Officer is authorized and directed to schedule follow-up inspection(s) of the residential rental unit or commercial unit to determine compliance with the inspection report.
The Code Enforcement Officer shall charge every landlord owning a residential rental unit within the Borough of Souderton an inspection fee as set by resolution of the Borough Council for each residential rental unit and an inspection fee as set by resolution of the Borough Council for each commercial unit inspection conducted by the Code Enforcement Officer in order to defray the cost of conducting the inspection. Follow-up inspections shall require the payment as set by resolution of the Borough Council for each inspection for compliance.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
Any landlord or other person who shall fail to file the registration forms or reports required to be filed by this article or who shall otherwise fail to comply with the requirements of this article, including providing access as requested by the Code Enforcement Officer, shall be guilty of a violation of this article and shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 and/or to imprisonment for a term of not more than 30 days for each such violation.
In addition to the foregoing penalties for violations of this article, landlords tenants, and/or occupants of residential rental units and business owners shall be subject to the fines and penalties and other remedies provided in other applicable codes and ordinances if such landlord, tenant or business owner shall fail to correct or repair any violation of such code or ordinance cited during an inspection of a residential rental unit or commercial unit as directed by the Code Enforcement Officer.