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REQUEST FOR HRA DISCUSSION Date: 08/21/12 Item No: 9c. Staff Approval: Agenda Section: Action/Discussion Items Item Description: Rental Licensing to Achieve Compliance (HF 113) Background At the January 17, 2012 RHRA meeting the Roseville Fire Chief, Tim O’Neil, Police Chief, Rick Mathwig, Fire Marshal, John Loftus, Building Official, Don Munson and Lisa Pielen from the Minnesota Multi-Housing Association (MHA) discussed problems with multi-family rental property maintenance and excessive use of police and fire department resources concentrated within several multi-family housing complexes in Roseville. It was from this discussion that the RHRA approved funding from the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) to research options to address these problems. Attached is the Rental Licensing to Achieve Compliance report. The report has been reviewed and discussed internally with Roseville Police Department and Building Inspections Division as well as reviewed by the MHA. From the report, the following are recommendations that should be considered when adopting a rental licensing program for Roseville. The City of Roseville should consider implementing a targeted rental licensing program for o multi-family properties. To address staffing concerns due to an expected increase in inspections, a system of third- o party inspections should be used. In order to see improvements in property maintenance and other health and safety issues in o multi-family housing, Roseville should consider the following changes to its city code : Adjusting the occupancy standards by requiring rental property owners to maintain an occupancy register with the names of all persons legally allowed to occupy a unit; Adding a stipulation regarding safe food storage practices; Adjusting the infestation stipulation of the property maintenance code to specify professional treatment of infestations; Adjusting the repair stipulations by requiring a higher quality of repair or standard for replacement of building materials as needed and Coordinate with other city staff, neighbors, social workers, and others to identify violations and then file complaints on behalf of a tenant. To dissipate the concentration of criminal activity in certain buildings, Roseville should o require rental property owners to include a crime-free addendum to their leases and encourage landlord participation in crime-free multi-family housing trainings. To support multi-family rental property owners, the City should consider requiring their o participation in periodic meetings with other property owners, inspections, police, and fire staff. Rental Licensing to Achieve Compliance