Legal questions delay Aurora housing standards

Aurora aldermen delayed the approval of new rental housing standards Tuesday by at least two weeks, in the face of legal questions posed by the Aurora Tri-County Association of Realtors.

Sixth Ward Alderman Michael Saville said the association asked for the four-ordinance package, known as the Crime Free Housing Initiative, to be held until the Aug. 19 committee meeting, meaning the earliest the council would approve the ordinances would be Aug. 26.

"They had a list of legal questions about our proposal so they've asked us to delay this discussion," Saville said. "We've submitted the questions to our corporate council, and in fairness to the association, we'll have this discussion at a later date."

Association representatives were not available at the association office following the meeting.

Saville, along with Ninth Ward Alderman Leroy Keith and the city's community-oriented policing officers are sponsoring the 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.

The proposed ordinances would increase penalties for drug and criminal activity in rental properties. The new set of laws would also require landlords and property owners to order criminal background and strongly encourages credit checks of tenants.

When first proposed, the ordinance also required the credit checks but that language was softened in recent weeks after the aldermen received feedback from the community.

"We realize our good landlords are already doing credit checks," Saville said. "But we also had some folks tell us they thought checking a prospective tenant's credit history could be an invasion of privacy so we removed the requirement."

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.

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.