Council may take up landlord registration legislation

January 3, 2019 at 12:00a.m.

POLAND

Village council is considering taking up landlord- registration legislation to maintain rental-property standards.

Landlord registration programs typically require landlords who own property in the area to register their contact information, pay a regular fee, maintain certain interior and exterior standards at their rental units and be subject to periodic inspections.

“It’s ensuring anyone who’s going into rental property that they’re getting the highest standards of living we can offer,” said Councilman Anthony Lattanzio at council’s Wednesday meeting.

Implementing a registration program could prove challenging, though, since there’s no current record of the number of rental properties in the village.

“This is a mammoth task. You can get some benefit from it, but it is an undertaking,” Councilwoman Martha Morgan said.

Nearby communities have created a blueprint for getting a landlord-registration program off the ground.

After withstanding a protracted legal challenge, Boardman began registering landlords this past spring, becoming the first township in Ohio to adopt a landlord- registration program.

At Wednesday’s meeting, council also addressed the status of pending legislation limiting the concentration of group homes in the village.

After an executive session at council’s Dec. 4 meeting, members approved a motion to table the controversial ordinance.

After The Vindicator questioned the executive session in a letter to council, Solicitor Jay Macejko recommended that council rescind the motion and pass a new motion to table the group- home ordinance. Council adopted Macejko’s recommendation.

Members also approved Macejko’s request to prepare a summary of the executive session to be added to the Dec. 4 meeting minutes.