Politics & Government

City Focuses in on Details of Emerging Rental Licensing Program

St. Charles staff will come back to City Council members in the next 2-3 months with a developed ordinance.

St. Charles city council members are favoring a less obtrusive option for a plan to license renters in the city.

Officials are examining the program, which could set up fees for property owners and inspections of rental properties. Landlords without licenses would not be allowed to rent property.

Council members have yet to make any permanent decisions but, earlier this week, asked city staff to develop a proposal around one of four options presented during a committee meeting.

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Each option comes with associated fees that would cover the cost of administering the program. The kind of program most alderman supported is one that includes rental licensing, and exterior-only inspections conducted by St. Charles inspectors on the more 3,400 units in the city. To run the program, it would cost the city $6,500 once and have annual costs of $74,800.

Rental property owners would pay fees based on the type of units for which they would license. Owners of single-family house turned into rentals would pay $45 for each dwelling unit. Multi-unit complexes are billed based on the number of units.

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This setup would likely be the “least pervasive on the landlord or property owner,” said Alderman Jim Martin.

Two other options include interior inspections of apartments. Martin called one option “hitting the landlord with a hammer.”

But this same option seemed to appeal to Alderman Ed Bessner. Businesses in St. Charles go through inspections before they’re able to open. In this case, the city would have an opportunity to inspect multi-unit dwellings.

“If you want to open up a retail shop, a restaurant, anything that caters to the general public, you have to go through a series of inspections (and) and series of codes have to be met before you get a certificate of occupancy,” Bessner said.

A notable part of this initiative, in any option proposed, is the crime-free housing addendum. Leases would be required to include an addendum that makes "criminal activity" committed by a tenant grounds for eviction.

Alderman Rita Payleitner said she believe the purpose of the licensing program is to "make sure these buildings are good neighbors and to help cut down on cut down on crime."

In a 6-1 vote, the Planning & Development committee asked staff to structure an ordinance around “Option 3” as outlined in city documents.

Alderman Ray Rogina was the lone no vote. During discussion, he said he was unprepared to give any option the nod without more input from landlords.

Alderman Dan Stellato recused himself from discussion and abstained from voting.

City staff is expected come back to the City Council members with a fleshed-out proposal within the next 2-3 months.

Editor's Note: The annual cost of the one rental licensing option mentioned in the story was originally reported incorrectly. The correct cost is $74,800.


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