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Background <br />Rosevillehasarentalregistrationprograminplaceforsinglefamilyhomes,duplexes,triplexes, <br />fourplexesandindividuallyownedcondosandtownhomes.TheCityrequiresownersthesetypesof <br />homestoregistertheirpropertieswiththeCityandhavetheircontactinformationonrecordincase <br />thereisanissueofconcernthatwarrantscontactingthepropertyowner.Afeeof$25ischargedfor <br />registration,andnoinspectionsofthesepropertiestakeplaceunlessthereisacomplaintregardingthe <br />exteriorofthestructurefromaneighbororconcernedcitizenorahousinginspectornoticesexterior <br />codeviolations.Multifamilydwellingsdonothavearegistrationrequirement.Rosevillehousing <br />inspectorshandleabout800complaintbasedinspectioncasesperyearonaverage.Thisincludessingle <br />andmultifamilyhousingunits,andcommercialunitsthatarebothowneroccupiedandrenter <br />occupied.Mostcomplaintsarerespondedtowithinthreedays. <br />Aspartofthisstudy,stafffromwš­;ÝzŒŒ;x­InspectionsDepartmentwasaskedtodescribehowthe <br />currentcitycodeandinspectionprocessaddressespropertymaintenanceproblemswithmultifamily <br />housingspecifically.Whenaskedabouttheusefulnessofwš­;ÝzŒŒ;x­citycode,inspectorsstatedthatthe <br />currentcitycodeisusefulinthatitcoverspublicnuisancesandbuildingdeficiencies,whichallows <br />inspectorstoaddresssomeoftheissuestheyencounterinmultifamilyproperties.Additionally,they <br />canusethepropertymaintenancecodetoaddresstenantcomplaints.Inspectorsbelievethatthe/z·äx­ <br />currentcodeworksfairlywellforthemostpartandcoversmostcomplaints.However,thecomplaints <br />thatcanbeinvestigatedmustcomefromtenants,andthemajorityofcomplaintstheygetabout <br />problempropertiescomefrompolice,fire,school,andothersocialworkerswhoregularlyinteractwith <br />thefamiliesresidingthere.Complaintscanbeactedupononlyiftheyarefromapersonwhohasseen <br />theviolationfirsthand <br />.Housinginspectorsexpressedthattheexistingcode7š;­“x·worktoprotect <br />propertyvaluesandlivabilityofneighborhoodswhichinturnadverselyaffectsthe/z·äx­taxbase. <br />Concerns <br />Shorttermvs.LongtermRepairs <br />OneofthemajorconcernsexpressedbyRosevilleinspectorsisthattheexistingcode7š;­“x·specify <br />permanentlongtermrepairsorthequalityofrepairsneeded.Forexample,thecurrentcoderequires <br />onlythatdamagedwoodorothermaterialsmusthaveaprotectivecoatingsuchaspaint.Ifinspectors <br />seepeelingpaintorrottingwood,underthecurrentstandards,theownerisonlyrequiredtoapplya <br />coatofpaint.Thisencouragesshorttermrepairsinsteadofrequiringthatmaterialsbereplaced(and <br />notjustpainted)orspecifyingthequalityofworkthatmustbeperformed.Thesetypesofshortterm <br />repairsresultinmorefrequentinspections,whichinspectorsstatedtakemoretimeandresourcesand <br />eventuallycontributetothedecayofthebuildingsthatareagingandneedconstantmaintenance. <br />3 <br /> <br />