Logan landlord licensing law redrafted

(Herald Journal) A committee charged with putting together a new landlord licensing ordinance has hammered out a proposal after four months deliberation.

Committee Chairman Blythe Ahlstrom is scheduled to present the recommendation to the Municipal Council at the first meeting of the new year Tuesday.

Councilmembers in August decided to put off a vote and form the 14-member committee when licensing became a hot-button issue with passionate supporters and detractors. Landlords, homeowners and city officials were among the committee members.

The committee’s recommended changes to the original proposed ordinance include complaint-driven inspections of properties instead of mandatory inspections of all properties and a $25 annual fee instead of $50. Also recommended is that landlords living far away must employ a local manager.

According to the text of the ordinance and statements from city officials, licensing is meant to promote safety and identify rentals in areas where they’re not allowed.

“How many of us have to be in peril before something is done?” asked Isaac Timm at a public hearing in August. He’s a tenant who claims his landlord failed to fix a decrepit roof and a leaking fireplace flue.

There are about 5,500 rental units in the city and 2,200 landlords, according to the community development department.

Original Article