Rental Housing Ordinance
The City of Clinton has adopted a Rental Property Ordinance in order to insure the health, safety and welfare of the community. This Ordinance will include manufactured homes, single-family houses, multi-family units and any residential property that is leased to an individual other than the property owner.
The intent of this Ordinance is to establish a base standard to prevent or correct slum and blighted conditions that presently exist or could exist in the future.
This Ordinance will address the following:
- Registration of all rental property by persons owning, managing, leasing or renting property.
- Licensing of the rental property will be required for persons renting one or more rental units.
- Annual registration will be required for each rental unit.
- Inspection of the rental unit must be performed before a rental license is considered valid.
- By the nature of this Ordinance all owners and managers are agreeing to allow an inspector from the City of Clinton to inspect their rental property. Inspections will be performed with prior notice to the owner or manager of the rental unit with sufficient time to notify the lessee. Violations found during the inspection of the rental unit will be given ample time to be corrected. A Certificate of Occupancy will not be issued until all non-conformities found during the inspection are repaired and a re-inspection of the rental unit is performed.
- A rental housing standard is set forth in this Ordinance as being the basic human needs to insure the comfort and well being of the lessee.
What Is The Rental Housing Inspection Program?
The ordinance simply requires that all rental housing in the City of Clinton be registered with the City. The program is based on an ordinance which requires the inspection of all rental housing within the City of Clinton. The properties are inspected for compliance with state and local laws involving property maintenance. Once an inspection is complete the owner is notified of any deficiencies found and asked to correct them in a timely manner.
Why Does The City Have A Rental Inspection Program?
For years the City responded to complaints from tenants, other nearby rental property owners, and residents about the lack of property maintenance on many rental properties. Nearby property owners complained that as a result of poor property maintenance on rental properties, their property values were being adversely affected. This same complaint was
echoed by other rental property owners who believed that their ability to rent, and even their ability to increase rents, was being adversely affected by other errant rental property owners in their neighborhoods.
What Happens If There Are Violations?
Where violations are found you will receive an inspection report showing the problems and location. The notice will also include a date for compliance.
What Will The Inspector Be Looking For?
The inspector will be looking for a number of things including: junk cars, dead vegetation, accumulations of junk and debris, landscape maintenance, building maintenance, graffiti, adequate refuse facilities, illegal/unpermitted construction, dilapidated structures and substandard housing conditions.
More Questions?
If you have any other questions regarding rental property ordinances or inspections, please contact the City of Clinton, Community Development department.