Aurora 'drawing line in the sand' with undesirable tenants.

A pair of Aurora aldermen are putting landlords and tenants on notice that the city will not tolerate anything that threatens the safety of its residents.

"Every resident in Aurora deserves to live in peace and raise a family without fear, regardless of whether they own their home or rent," Sixth Ward Alderman Michael Saville said Tuesday. "This city is drawing a line in the sand and saying enough is enough."

Saville, Ninth Ward Alderman Leroy Keith and the city's community-oriented policing officers are sponsoring a Crime Free Housing Initiative, designed to form a partnership among residents, rental property owners and police, as well as to implement firm guidelines for the city's landlords.

Saville said officers Ken Thurman, Lorena Hernandez and Andrew Wolcott began researching the initiative and its four ordinances in 2006.

"When we approve this, we will be giving our rental property owners more tools to assist them and a better understanding of how to be a good landlord," Saville said.

The proposed ordinances would require landlords and property owners to order criminal background and credit checks of tenants. They also would increase penalties for drug and criminal activity.

The initiative would require owners of all rental units, including condominiums, to license their properties and attend crime-free housing landlord training.

In previous years, owners of properties that were newer than 25 years old were exempt. Those who already have been through the training will not have to repeat it.

And, for the first time, the aldermen intend to implement fines for excessive police calls. Saville said the fines could be leveled against property owners after the third "nuisance" call in any given year.

According to city code, chronic nuisance activities include drug and gang activity, disorderly conduct, criminal damage to property, theft, harassment, keeping of a prohibited dangerous animal, unlawful possession, sale or distribution of illegal fireworks and illegal consumption, sale or possession of alcohol.

Police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said, if approved, the new set of laws would be "a tremendous asset" to the police department.

Once police file at least one nuisance report on a rental property, Chief Greg Thomas may order the property owner to abate the activity, suspend or revoke the owner's rental license, or charge the owner for the costs associated with dealing with the violations.

Not everyone is aware of the proposed ordinances but two town hall meetings have been scheduled to allow residents to gather information and ask questions.

The first will begin at 7 p.m. July 16 at Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave., Room 102. The second will begin at 7 p.m. July 17 at Eola Community Center, 555 S. Eola Road, Room 104.

"We're trying to inform as many folks as possible to see what they think and see if they think we're missing something here," Saville said. "This is way too important an issue to push this through on a quick basis."

Jill Jenkins manages a 173-unit complex on the city's west side and owns several other properties, also primarily on the west side. John Biris owns and rents more than 300 units spanning the east and west sides, including the 260-unit Marywood Apartment Homes complex.

Both have seen the ordinances and pledged their support for a universal leasing standard in the city.

Both are also one step ahead of the initiative and already do criminal history, credit and employment checks on every potential tenant.

"I want the bad landlords out of here to eliminate the perception that every rental unit is a problem," Jenkins said. "And I don't want the riffraff in my units so I want the gangs out, too. Everyone knows that Aurora has those problems so that keeps our property values down and keeps money from the schools.

"It's like a snake chasing its tail, so we've got to chop off the head."

Biris said he has found an increase in the quality of tenants since he began offering only two-year leases.

"People are more vested in the community when they sign a two-year lease and that encourages them to keep the units clean and free of trouble," said Biris, who has renovated more than 1,000 "troubled" units in the past decade. "I want all of my tenants in a clean, safe and secure home and I think the city leveling the playing field like this will help all landlords achieve that goal."

If the new program is going to work, however, landlords agree that it's got to "have teeth" and be respected by the courts

"This would be a wonderful development for the rental business in the city if, indeed, it has teeth. I want it to have teeth but that all comes to enforcement and the courts," Jenkins said. "But every rental property owner knows it's next to impossible to get a judge to sign an eviction notice for any infraction other than nonpayment of rent."

Biris, however, said he has evicted tenants through the years and has never been challenged in court.

"Folks that are acting up usually aren't paying either," Biris said. "They go hand in hand."

The aldermen say they hope the citations issued under the new ordinances will be taken seriously.

"Our goal is zero tolerance for nuisance offenders and we want our landlords to be comfortable evicting tenants who are not abiding by their lease agreements," Saville said. "Period."