ACTION REQUESTED:
Title
Communication from the City Manager and Community Development Director with a Request to ADOPT an ORDINANCE Amending CHAPTER 5 of the CODE of the City of Peoria Pertaining to INSPECTION OF DWELLINGS.
Body
BACKGROUND: In December of 2018, Council approved changes to the Self-Inspection process administered by the Community Development Department. The purpose of the Self-Inspection form is to provide a baseline starting discussion for a tenant and property owner prior to occupancy of the unit. While a large percentage of our landlord community already completes thorough walk throughs of properties prior to occupancy, this does not always occur. In addition, tenants are traditionally not aware of life and health safety requirements and often focus on cosmetic issues.
Staff has received feedback from multiple sources related to the requirements of the form and proposes making the following ordinance changes:
- Currently, a new form is required to be completed every time a new tenant moves into a property and at least once a year. Staff is proposing to change the requirement to not force landlords to do the walk through of the property annually and only require it every time a new tenant moves into a property. This will reduce the burden on landlords who keep their properties maintained and have tenants in units for an extended period.
- Complete revamp of the identified Life and Health Safety items required on the form. The original list has not been updated for at least 25 years and is very complicated to understand. It was originally created with the intent that trained code enforcement staff would be conducting the inspection and contains very technical language. While the technical language is very important, all of it is still adopted else ware in the code and a requirement for properties to maintain their occupancies. If staff receives a complaint from a tenant, the items can and still will be addressed.
- Remove the re...
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