Opposition fades to St. Charles rental crackdown
A plan to force landlords to receive training, clean up the exterior of properties and encourage eviction of tenants suspected of crimes no longer has any opposition in St. Charles.
Alderman Ray Rogina was the lone “no” vote the last time the city council, sitting as a committee, reviewed program options. At that time, Rogina called for more input from the city’s landlords. He also indicated he favored a version that had no interior or exterior rental property inspections. On Monday, Rogina dropped his opposition.
Rogina said he wants a program that targets landlords of historically problematic properties in the city rather than landlords with “a solid track record.”
“Some landlords need more training than others,” Rogina said. “I trust our staff, and I trust the individuals with concerns on this matter will communicate that concern to staff.”
With no opposition, the program is set to begin some time after the new year once city staff has the full guidelines and program administration in place.
The program options that aldermen have most supported involve a startup cost of $6,500 to the city and an annual added budget cost of $74,800. That said, the program could prove to be a moneymaker and a money-saver for the city.
All of the city’s estimated 3,426 rental units will fall under the program, including rented single-family homes. The city will charge for the exterior property inspections, and the cost will range from $25 to $1,200 dollars depending on the size of and number of rental units on a property.
Police also have suggested fewer problem renters would reduce the amount of time police spend responding to crime and property code violations at rental housing in the city.
The new program will come with a lease addendum for the city’s renters that allow a landlord, or the city acting on the landlord’s behalf, to evict a tenant suspected of committing or allowing a crime either on the property or elsewhere.
No conviction is needed for eviction — only enough evidence for police to believe a crime was committed.