[Adopted 12-9-2002 by Ord. No. 5-02]
A rental agreement license is required before
any new tenant be allowed to rent, dwell or occupy in any fashion
a unit until all procedures, policies and protocols are fulfilled
culminating in the issuance of a rental license by the City Treasurer.
A rental license is contingent upon the successful
inspection of the Code Enforcement Department. The Code Enforcement
Officer will review each unit based on a standardized checklist (Appendix
A[1]).
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix A is included as an attachment to this chapter.
[Amended 2-4-2009 by Ord. No. 1-09; 12-2-2014 by Ord. No. 4-14]
The fee structures charged to the landlord/property
owner will be $40 for the first two inspections, $100 for the third
inspection and $125 for every inspection thereafter.
A flowchart of this application process is detailed
in Appendix B.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Appendix B is included as an attachment to this chapter.
After each inspection, the property owner will
be provided a list of the deficiencies. The property owner will have
30 days from this inspection date to correct the deficiencies. The
Code Officer may grant an extension based on the magnitude of the
deficiency to be corrected.
In event that the property owner does not comply
with the necessary improvements within the thirty-day period, a fine
of $300 will be imposed. Further, additional $300 fines will be imposed
for every one week (seven-day period) thereafter that the improvements
are not made.
A license will not be issued if smoke detectors
are lacking in terms of operation or appropriate number.
In the event a landlord/property owner rents
or allows dwelling or occupation of a dwelling that has been vacated
by the previous tenants without going through the application process,
the property owner will incur a fine of up to $1,000 and will then
be subject to the inspection process with the current tenant in this
unit.
It should be noted that an application can be
failed for any inspection deficiency as well as any incomplete or
missing information pertaining to either the landlord or prospective
tenant. All information must be accurate to the best of the landlord's
knowledge at the time of the application. Also, a license will not
be issued if any property tax is not paid.
Existing structures will be subject to grandfathering
for existing structural dimensions, provided the existing structures
offer no undue safety hazard, as determined by the Code Enforcement
Office.
All tenant and landlord information listed must
be provided at the time of application, and such information may be
used for any purpose by any City entity deemed appropriate by Mayor
and Council.
All landlords/property owners must inform the
Code Enforcement Department of all rental properties in the City of
New Kensington. This notice shall be received in writing on or before
30 days after passage of this chapter and on or before February 1
of each subsequent year. Further, all new acquisitions throughout
the year must be reported to the Code Enforcement office within 10
days after property real estate settlement closing. Failure to comply
shall be interpreted as bypassing the procedure and will incur a fine
of up to $1,000. Also, any landlord that furnishes false information
to the City or uses a false name or address will be sentenced to a
fine of up to $1,000.
