[Adopted 10-10-2018 by Ord. No. 679]
The purposes of this article and the policy of the City of Crisfield
shall be to protect and promote the public health, safety and welfare
of its citizens, to establish rights and obligations of owners and
occupants relating to residential rental units in the City of Crisfield,
and to encourage owners and occupants of residential rental units
to maintain and improve the quality of rental units within the community.
This article provides for a regular inspection program, registration
and licensing of residential rental units, as defined in this article,
and the penalties for noncompliance.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
DWELLING or DWELLING UNIT
A building or portion thereof arranged or designed for residential
occupancy, including but not limited to an apartment, accessory apartment,
efficiency apartment, boardinghouse, rooming house, single-family
dwelling and multifamily dwelling.
PERSON
Any individual, proprietorship, partnership, corporation,
association, or other legal entity.
RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNIT
Any dwelling unit in which a person resides in consideration
of value, paid or tendered to or for the use or benefit of the owner
of record of such dwelling unit or the owner's authorized representative,
or a lessee of the dwelling unit. The term "residential rental unit"
shall include any single-family residential dwelling unit or multifamily
residential dwelling unit leased, rented, or offered for lease or
rent, to any person, including any single-family residential dwelling
unit or multifamily residential dwelling unit owned by the Crisfield
Housing Authority and leased, rented, or offered for lease or rent,
to any person in accordance with the public housing program administered
and operated by the Crisfield Housing Authority within the municipal
limits of the City of Crisfield, subject to the provisions of Maryland
Code, Housing & Community Development, § 12-101 et seq.
and all applicable federal laws and regulations governing public housing.
[Amended 1-8-2020 by Ord.
No. 692]
A residential rental unit license may be revoked or denied by the Inspector m· his authorized designee if the owner of the residential rental unit, after the passage of the notice period set forth in §
91-4B, fails to eliminate all violations set forth in the written notice issued by the Inspector or his authorized designee under §
91-4B. Revocation or denial of a residential rental unit license shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, such other penalties as may be provided for said violations elsewhere in this Code or by state law. In addition to any other remedy which may be available in the event of a violation of any provision of this article, the City may seek an injunction to prevent the renting, or offering to rent, of a residential rental unit which is not licensed for rental in accordance with this article.
A residential rental unit license issued under this article
shall expire on December 31 of each calendar year. An application
for renewal of a residential rental unit license shall be made on
or before November 1 of each calendar year. All fees owed to the City
in connection with the residential rental unit must be paid to the
City prior to the renewal of the rental license for such residential
rental unit.
A residential rental unit license issued under this article
shall be produced on the demand of a tenant or prospective tenant
of such residential rental unit and shall be made available at reasonable
times for examination by an authorized agent of the City.
The City is hereby authorized to establish, by resolution of
the Council, fees and the amounts thereof for the issuance of a residential
rental license, the renewal of a residential rental unit license,
the inspection of a residential rental unit, and the reinspection
of a residential rental unit. Any unpaid residential rental unit license
fee, renewal fee, inspection fee or reinspection fee shall be subject
to such interest and penalties as established, from time to time,
by resolution of the Council.
[Amended 1-8-2020 by Ord.
No. 692]
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to a rental dwelling
unit occupied by an immediate family member of the owner of record
of a dwelling unit or the owner of record's spouse, parents, children,
grandparents, grandchildren, sibling, aunt, uncle, or first cousins,
including adopted, half, and step family members; or any government
building other than a residential rental unit owned by the Crisfield
Housing Authority, hospital, nursing home, hospice or other health
care facility, church, synagogue or other religious facility, or day-care
facility.