Rental property has been called the city's "largest industry" and landlords have been strong critics of a mandatory annual fee since it was proposed in the summer of 2015.
The new plan would also eliminate interior unit examinations – another requirement that has been heavily criticized - unless they are requested or "probable cause" is found, according to the city.
“We’ve worked diligently to find a solution that is acceptable to all parties involved,” West Carrollton Planning Director Greg Gaines. “In this plan, we are confident that we can implement this program, without incurring an inordinate amount of additional costs to the city’s already depleted general fund budget.”
The new proposal is expected to be outlined to the West Carrollton City Council on Tuesday night.
It would require fees for late registrations and re-inspections, according to the city. In the Dayton area, Centerville and Oakwood have similar rental inspection programs, but neither requires an annual fee.
West Carrollton staff met rental industry advocates last week and the new proposal resulted, said City Manager Brad Townsend.
“That meeting was very productive and the group pledged their full support to help us promote and implement this program,” Townsend wrote in an email. “We consider this a win-win for the community.
West Carrollton’s newest version would require landlords to register with the Montgomery County Auditor’s Office by June 30, 2017, or face a $150 fine and court action.
After registration, the city will conduct a full inspection of the exterior of all residential rental units in the city, as well as the interior common areas of multi-family rental buildings, once every two years.
The city would appoint a program manager who would “partner with the rental industry to develop a comprehensive landlord/tenant educational program.”
The initial proposal last year included a $60 annual fee, checks on units every three years, and inspections and a $60 fee when the occupancy of the unit is turned over, according to the city.
That plan was revised – when it was before the city’s planning commission - to have landlords pay a $30 fee each year, inspection cycles every three to five years and the inspection requirement upon unit turnover eliminated, records show.
That fee on landlords was proposed to finance an inspection program after a 2015 survey showed residents favored cleaning up West Carrollton’s housing stock.
While 42 percent of housing in the city are rental units, those dwellings generated about 65 percent of the housing code violations from 2012-15, according to the city.
Those numbers helped lead city staff to propose guidelines that city council has scrutinized since August, after a 4-0 vote in favor by the planning commission. The commission wrestled for nearly a year with a plan that included an annual landlord fee and mandatory interior inspections.
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