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The Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday put its final stamp of approval on code amendments that add teeth to its rental-property regulations to hold "bad" landlords accountable and ensure units meet minimum living standards.
The council's unanimous vote repeals and replaces the city's rental facilities code with several revisions that are now set to take effect July 1, 2019.
Among the changes, the update establishes a 48-month interior inspection cycle and a point system to prioritize inspections in favor of units that have never been inspected since the city created its rental-licensing program about 15 years ago.
It also includes a definition for safety standards, requires apartments to be vacated within 60 days after a landlord loses his or her rental license and authorizes the city to collect unpaid fees through liens on annual tax bills.
The introduction of the ordinance authorizing the revisions was unanimously approved by city council on Aug. 28.
Revisions to the rental code followed much debate, with arguments both for and against different proposals. There were several discussions at previous city council meetings in recent months.
A fire in March at 320-322 S. Potomac St. helped spur discussions of updating the ordinance. The city issued about a dozen citations alleging code violations there.
The council previously considered mandating inspections every 36 months, regardless of whether rentals were occupied. That sparked criticism from landlords and tenants alike.
Several landlords who have addressed the council called the proposed changes too strict for compliant rental owners and possible violations of civil rights. They urged the city to make changes to combat "problem" landlords.
City officials later narrowed the focus of the amendments to comply with those requests.
The city has more than 9,000 rental units. Roughly one-quarter of them have never been inspected since the rental-licensing program was established as Chapter 197 in city code, officials have said.
City officials have said that largely stemmed from landlords failing to notify the city about tenant turnover, a requirement to maintain a license.
The code revision marks a shift from current regulations in that code-enforcement officers could take additional action against a landlord if his or her license has been revoked.
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