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City rental crackdown picking up momentum
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Maureen O'Neil, Rental Property Registration Administrator
YOUNGSTOWN
The city’s crackdown on landlords who haven’t registered their rental properties is slow going, but there are good reasons for that, its rental-property registration administrator said.
More importantly, the city is seeing an increase in the number of registrations from property owners, said Maureen O’Neil, the program’s administrator.
“Our goal is not to fine or penalize people,” she said. “Our goal is to ensure that properties are safe for tenants.”
The city has registered 1,880 landlords who own about 3,700 units, O’Neil said.
When the city announced the crackdown Sept. 29, about 1,500 rental-property owners had registered.
Those who didn’t register by Oct. 6 could have faced weekly fines of $100.
“We are seeing proof of [the program’s] importance on a daily basis when we confirm that a landlord has improved their property, which is the goal of the program,” she said.
The rental-property department has completed 320 inspections since the program started Sept. 7.
“We do every inspection and deal with every renter and landlord on a case-by-case basis,” O’Neil said. “This is time- consuming, but we believe it is the right thing to do.”
The city is working with landlords who register and are agreeable to fix the problems at their rental properties, she said.
“Many of these properties have multiple repair issues,” O’Neil said. “It is impractical, however, to expect the owners of these properties to make all of the repairs immediately. Our office has taken an approach that rewards landlords who show continued improvement to their property.”
The city program requires rental-property owners to pay the city $20 per unit for an annual license after a safety inspection. If a property is a multifamily dwelling, the first unit is $20, and each additional unit in the structure is $15.
Federally subsidized properties are exempt because they’re already inspected by a government agency. Also, inspections aren’t required on vacant properties.
The owners of 19 properties were sent notices in the past week about the fines. Also, 22 other property owners will receive letters about the fines shortly, O’Neil said.
Ollie Mae Peterson of Elm Street received letters demanding $100 weekly fines each for two properties she owns, one on Elm and the other on Lansdowne Boulevard. The fines will increase weekly unless Peterson registers the properties with the city.
Refusing to pay the fines and the registration fees will result in landlords’ being taken to court.
Peterson, 77, said she is ill and trying to sell her rental properties.
“I rent my properties, and the renters tear them up,” she said. “I can’t afford to pay the city for rental properties when the renters don’t pay me. I’m in a bad situation. If I had the money and people paid their rent, I’d pay the city, but my renters aren’t paying and I can’t afford it. Nobody wants to let their property go down, but I can’t control my tenants.”
O’Neil said she’s spoken numerous times to Peterson urging her to register her properties and the city would work with her on a timetable for repairs.
McCarthy and Lois Hayes of Elm Street also were mailed letters with $100 weekly fines each for two rental properties they own on Elm.
Both said they’re not aware of the rental-registration program and didn’t know they had to pay an annual fee.
Everyone who received letters for the $100 weekly fines were previously mailed at least one notice about the required registration, O’Neil said, adding that the program also has received much local media attention.
“Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” she said.