Oct 10, 2016 3 min read

CARMICHAELS – Cumberland Township officials hope a new rental property ordinance will target slumlords and benefit tenants living in dilapidated apartments.

The far-reaching ordinance unanimously approved by the supervisors Monday will require landlords to register all rental and boarding properties in Cumberland Township, implement an annual “license fee” and allow the township code enforcement officer to inspect the building each time a tenant moves out.

“The landlords will bear more responsibility,” said Ann Bargerstock, the township’s code enforcement officer. “Its time has come. They’ll be held to a higher standard.”

Township Supervisor Bill Groves said they found poor living conditions in some rental houses, including several without running water and electricity. This will be a way to bring those homes up to code and improve the lives of township residents, he said.

“This ordinance was needed because of the conditions of some of the houses,” Groves said.

The ordinance states “there is a growing concern within the (t)ownship with the failure of some landowners to properly maintain residential rental properties,” meaning officials now “find that it is necessary to establish and maintain an inventory of residential rental units.”

The law states landlords are required to ensure that their properties are up to all codes, ordinances and regulations, keep the property in safe condition and make sure their tenants do not cause disruption in the neighborhood. Trash removal is also required, while the payment can be discussed between the landlord and tenant.

Bargerstock said there are hundreds of rental properties in the township, and she’s heard concerns from a few owners, but expects more to visit her office at the Cumberland Township Municipal Building after the ordinance goes into effect.

“The plan is to make sure the people are treated in a humane manner by their landlord,” Bargerstock said. “Some of those landlords just don’t care.”

Landlords must register their properties and pay a registration fee, which will be waived in November and cut in half if paid by December. The cost is $50 for single and double units, and $100 for larger buildings, such as multifamily dwellings, boarding houses, dormitories, hotels or transient dwellings.

Once the properties are registered, according to the ordinance, the landlords must then obtain an annual license for each unit that will be “prominently displayed” for tenants and inspectors to view. The fee would be $50 per unit for apartments, multifamily dwellings and transient dwellings, and $25 per unit for boarding houses, dormitories and hotels, with a maximum payment of $150.

Each time a tenant moves from a property, there will be an inspection by township officials to ensure the apartment is inhabitable and safe. The inspections are cursory, meaning they are done just to see if the residence is “clean and inhabitable,” Bargerstock said, but the inspector can write citations upon finding serious violations.

The owner must provide written notice that a unit is unoccupied if no one has lived there for more than 30 days. A written agreement must be provided to the township’s code enforcement officer upon request, along with names of all occupants.

If the landlord is a larger conglomerate or lives more than 25 miles from Cumberland Township, they must have a representative to handle complaints.

Failing to comply with the ordinance could mean a monthly fine of $500 per unit.

The ordinance goes into effect Jan. 1.