Report Prepared by: Scott McBride, City Manager
Title
SUBJECT: Accept the Report on a Potential Rental Registry Program and Provide Direction
REPORT IN BRIEF
Considers accepting the report on a potential rental registry program and provide direction.
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the report on a potential rental registry program and provide direction to staff.
Body
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
2024-25 Merced City Council Goals and Priorities, Quality of Life, Goal #5 (6) Explore potential rental inspection policies to uphold housing standards and safeguard the rights of residents in rental accommodation.
DISCUSSION
Background
The Merced City Council has established a goal to explore potential rental inspection policies. As part of City Council Business, Council Members Boyle and Smith requested that this item be brought forward for discussion and potential action.
The purpose of this administrative report was not to provide draft ordinances for discussion but to create a platform for discussion by the city council. In advance of the council meeting, staff has not conducted outreach to property owners, property managers, tenants, or others that may potentially be affected by enacting either a registry or inspection program. However, depending on direction from the council these steps can be initiated. This topic has been discussed by prior city council's and the public participated in those meetings.
The terms rental registry and rental inspection are often used interchangeably but they are different. A rental registry is simply that, a database of rental units within the city.
A rental inspection program can be a proactive or reactive approach to address potential health and safety concerns within a residential unit. Most often a registry is the backbone that leads to other programs including inspections.
To provide some explanation on the scale of the number of potential unit's staff has utilized published US Census data. The City's housing stock is comp...
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