Frequently Asked Questions:

 

What’s the difference between a Rental Registration and a Rental License?
Rental Registration is needed in order to maintain an accurate inventory of housing stock in the City. This inventory is needed for important planning, zoning, sanitation, and public safety purposes. Rental properties must be registered with the City regardless of the number of units or whether the units are vacant or occupied. The initial registration does not have to be renewed, and is valid unless/until ownership of the property changes hands

 

A Rental Occupancy license is needed for each unit to certify that the unit meets basic safety and habitability standards before it is rented.   The property owner must pay a license fee and the unit must pass an inspection conducted by the Bureau of Housing before a license is issued. Licenses must be posted in the rental unit. A rental occupancy license must be renewed each year.

 

 

If I rent property through the Section 8 program, must I still register and license my rental unit/s with the City?
Yes. The Section 8 program is not affiliated with the City.

 

Is there any penalty for not registering a rental unit?
Whoever violates any provision of the ordinance shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or a term of imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or both. Each month that a violation exists constitutes a separate violation.

 

Is there any penalty for renting a unit or allowing it to be occupied without a license? 
Yes. If the occupancy license for a rental unit is revoked for a violation of the ordinance, the owner is fined $500 for each month the violation exists and the unit remains occupied. If the City discovers an unlicensed occupied unit, the owner is given 30 days to get a license, vacate the unit, or face a fine of $500 for every month that the unit is occupied without a license.

 

How much does it cost for Registration and Licensing?
Initial Registration Fees
     Rooming/Boarding House, Dormitory, Hotel      $200
     Multi-Family (3 or more units)                      $200
     Transient Dwelling                                     $200
     Single & Double Units                                 $50 per unit

 

 Annual Occupancy License Fees
     Rooming/Boarding House, Dorm, Hotel            $25 per unit 
     Multi-, Transient, Single & Double Units         $50 per unit

 

 Transfer of Registration or License

      If paid at the time of sale or title transfer.    $25 per unit 
      If paid after sale or title transfer                $50 per unit

 

Why must the license be posted in the rental unit? 
By posting the license in each rental unit, tenants and Housing Inspectors have accurate information about:

 

Why am I required to identify a “Responsible Agent”?
If any problems occur at the rental property, the City, the tenant, and sometimes neighbors must be able to easily communicate with a local person to make them aware of the problem and to discuss a solution.  A property owner who is not a full time resident of Lancaster County must designate a Responsible Agent who is authorized and willing to act on behalf of the owner to make sure that problems are addressed.

 

Can my license be revoked for any reason?
There are specific reasons why an occupancy license can be revoked. If the condition of the rental unit does not meet property maintenance standards, a Housing Inspector may issue a violation notice. If the violation is not corrected, the license may be revoked. A license may also be revoked for failure to name a Responsible Agent; failure to pay the annual license renewal fee; failure to pay property violation tickets, water, sewer, solid waste, recycling fees or City taxes with respect to the Residential Rental Unit; failure to evict a tenant after three Disruptive Conduct incidents in a twelve month period; or  failure to comply with any other provision of this Ordinance.

 

What happens to my rental property if my license is revoked? 
If a residential rental occupancy license is revoked and the unit is vacant, it shall remain vacant until the license is reinstated. A license can be reinstated if the reason for its revocation is cured and a reinstatement fee of $200 is paid.
An owner or responsible agent who allows a residential rental unit to be occupied after the occupancy license has been revoked, will be charged a fine of 500.00 per unit for each month the violation exists. 

If I lose my license, how can I get it back? 
A license will be reinstated if the reason for its revocation is cured, no other violations exist, and a reinstatement fee of $200 is paid.

 

Are there any other penalties if I lose my license? 
According to Pennsylvania state law, a person whose residential rental occupancy license has been revoked by the City may not purchase property in Lancaster County at any tax sale. The City will notify the County Tax Claim office when a license is revoked.  

 

In case of disputes, how can I appeal the revocation of my residential rental occupancy license? 
Any person whose occupancy license has been revoked or whose application for a residential rental occupancy license for a residential rental unit has been denied may appeal to the Board of Housing Appeals.

 

The ordinance targets disruptive tenant conduct. Won’t neighbors with a grudge lodge unfair complaints just as a way to get rid of renters?
Police are already responding to complaints about noise and other neighborhood disturbances. In some cases, the police issue a citation. In most cases, the incident is simply logged in a police Incident Report, no citation is issued, and no one is notified of the problem behavior. 

 

Police will continue to respond to complaints about disturbances and nuisance offenses such as noise. If the police officer finds that the complaint is valid, he/she will note the incident in a report as a “Disruptive Conduct Incident.”  Within 10 working days after the incident occurs at a rental property, the offending tenant and his/her landlord will be notified that a “Disruptive Conduct Incident” has been logged.  Tenants and landlords will also be advised that the tenant must be evicted if police log three such valid “Disruptive Conduct Incidents” in a twelve-month period.
  

What can a renter do if he/she believes that notice of a Disruptive Conduct incident is not valid? 
Anyone who receives written notice that an incident of Disruptive Conduct has been logged can appeal the notice before the Board of Housing Appeals. Appeals must be filed within 10 days after the notice is mailed.

 

What happens if a landlord refuses to evict a disruptive tenant?  Is it legal for the City to require landlords to evict tenants? 
After three valid notifications of Disruptive Conduct in a twelve-month period, an owner or responsible agent (landlord) must provide the City with documentation that eviction proceedings have begun within 10 days of receipt of the third Disruptive Conduct notice. If the landlord fails to begin eviction, the City will revoke the Rental Occupancy License for the rental unit occupied by the disruptive tenant. The landlord for that rental unit will be fined $500 for every month that the unit continues to be occupied without a license.

 

The ordinance is modeled after ones that are in place in other Pennsylvania cities, including Allentown and Lebanon. These ordinances have been upheld in Court.
    
Key Facts About “Disruptive Conduct”