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V.CaseStudies <br />CitieswithNoRentalLicensing:MinnetonkaandMaplewood <br />StafffromthebuildingandinspectionsdepartmentsinthecitiesofMinnetonkaandMaplewoodwere <br />interviewedtobetterunderstandtheissuestheyfacewithmultifamilyrentalpropertiesandhowthey <br />censingprogram.StafffromtheCityof <br />enforcethepropertymaintenancecodewithoutarentalli <br />Minnetonkastatedthatthoughtheyhaveconsideredarentallicensingprograminthepast,itdidnot <br />seemtobethebestfitfortwomainreasons.First,thecity7š;­“x·receivemanycomplaintsfromits <br />residentsaboutpropertymaintenancecodeviolations.Second,theproblemswithproperty <br />maintenancetheyarenowstartingtoseeconcernsinglefamilyhomes.Withthedownturninthe <br />housingmarket,somehomeowners(oftenwithlimitedexperienceinpropertymanagement)arerenting <br />theirhomes.Anothercommonproblemisforeclosures.Bankownedpropertiesthatsitvacantoften <br />havepropertymaintenanceissuesthataremoredifficulttoenforce.Inthesecases,thecityoftenabates <br />theproblemandbillsthebankthatownstheproperty. <br />Withregardtomultifamilyhousing,inanattempttopreemptivelyaddressissues,Minnetonkarecently <br />helditsfirstinaseriesofmeetingswithpropertymanagersofmultifamilybuildingsinorderto <br />encouragebetterpropertymanagementpractices.Additionally,theCrimePreventionAnalystfromthe <br />MinnetonkaPoliceDepartmentmeetsandconsultswithpropertieswithhighvolumesofpolicecallsto <br />establishaplanforreducingcriminalactivity.EventhoughMinnetonkadoesnotcurrentlyhavearental <br />licenseprogram,itwasconsideredin2002and2003andwilllikelybereexaminedasanoptionwithin <br />thenextcoupleofyearsduetotheaginghousingstock. <br />Similarly,Maplewoodalsoreceivesfewcomplaintsregardingpropertymaintenancecodeviolations.City <br />staffstatedthat,onaverage,theyrespondtoonecomplaintpermonth.Thebuildingofficialdidstate, <br />however,thatheisawareofsomeproblemproperties.Toaddresstheseissueshecanimposefinesand <br />usethecourtsystem.Inadditiontohavingalownumberofcomplaints,theCityalsohasonlytwofull <br />timebuildinginspectors,andneitheristrainedinhousinginspections.Implementingarentallicensing <br />programwouldentailretrainingorhiringnewinspectionstaff,whichmaynotbethemostefficient <br />optionconsideringthelownumberofcomplaints.Asaresult,allcomplaintbasedhousinginspections <br />areconductedbytheCitybuildingofficial.Thebuildingofficialtypicallyusesfinestoprovidea <br />disincentivetopropertyownerswhohaveuncorrectedmaintenanceissues.Ifthebuildingofficialhasto <br />inspectabuildingforthesameviolationasecondorthirdtime,hecanimposeafineandchargean <br />additional$250{-š“­Ò’¦·zš“ofcity­;©Ýz-;­|fee.Currently,theseareusedprimarilyforabatementof <br />foreclosedpropertiesand,onaverage,thereareaboutfiftyoftheseperyear.Thebuildingofficialalso <br />statedthathecanengagepropertyownersinlitigationifproblemsarenotaddressedaftertworepair <br />ordershavebeenissued. <br />16 <br /> <br />