Substitute Bill 12-16 Proposed Landlord Registration Program

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SUBSTITUTE BILL No. 12-16 ORDINANCE NO. AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 6 OF THE SOUTH BEND MUNICIPAL CODE BY THE INCLUSION OF NEW ARTICLE 10 ENTITLED LANDLORD REGISTRATION PROGRAM STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND INTENT The South Bend Common Council, in collaboration with the City Administration, believe that the following landlord registration program is in the best interests of the City of South Bend. The regulations have been carefully drafted to comply with the new governing Indiana state law. In 2014, the Indiana Association of Realtors (IAR) worked with the Indiana General Assembly to pass HEA 1403 which "caps the amount a local unit can charge for landlord registry fees at $5.00..." Some of the benefits of having such a local program which would incorporate best practices focus on: • Acknowledging data from the U.S. Census Bureau last revised on December 2, 2015 which reported that 43.3 % of housing units in the City of South Bend are rental units • Developing positive and improved communications and exchange of information among landlords, tenants and the community • Maintaining a registration program which assembles accurate information and which is informative for landlords, tenants and the general public • Enhancing housing quality and neighborhood stability through an improved informational system on rental properties In the preparation of the proposed regulations, several ordinances and best practices were carefully reviewed with a particular emphasis on two (2) city ordinances which were passed after the new state law took effect. These included the Indianapolis landlord registration regulations, which took effect on January 1, 2015, as well as the rental registration program in Evansville which was approved on September 8, 2014, when their Council passed Ordinance No. G- 2014 -29. Annual registration of property owners with the Department of Code Enforcement along with a.fee of $ 5.00 per property owner will be required. Failure to register would result in a $300 fine. The City of South Bend's government website maintains a "Ten Tips Every Landlord Should Know" program in the interest of furthering collaboration between landlords and tenants. The City believes that the proposed registration program will enhance such opportunities throughout South Bend. The City's website will be updated to include information on the Landlord Registration Program as part of its proactive outreach to the community. K,, f rr C �i� /a�n�� //� t/� �i�rr�rcrr �r�rrcrl� t /rc 9i1 coc� lllle ear <l -Am<l'ma -, �r llcua�: Section I. Chapter 6 of the South Bend Municipal Code is amended by the inclusion of new Article 10 which shall read in its entirety as follows: Article 10. Landlord Registration Program. Sec. 6 -40 Establishment of Landlord Registration Program.