Fort Collins City Council and city staff are taking the right approach in emphasizing safety for renters over punishment of property owners.
Tuesday, City Council voted 6-0, with Council member Ben Manvel absent, to approve an ordinance that would allow property owners time to bring their buildings into compliance with city standards and register them with the city.
Over several decades, a number of property owners have converted their single-family homes into multi-unit rentals, primarily to take advantage of a rental market fueled by college students. But city staff found that up to 1,400 of those units were not registered as rentals, including one owned by Manvel, and many of those may not be up to code for safety and fire standards. The situation could put renters at risk.
City officials worked closely with property owners, other stakeholders and the Fort Collins Board of Realtors to develop an ordinance that would compel compliance without resorting to a punitive atmosphere.
The ordinance, which will require a second reading, allows property owners up to 25 months to register their rental units. For the first 13 months, owners would pay $200 for application fees along with any costs to bring the unit into code compliance. The next six months, the application fee would be $300; and owners would have to pay $400 for the fee if they wait until the final six months of the grace period.
The tiered approach would offer incentive for property owners to get their sites registered and in compliance sooner rather than later. This ordinance places code compliance in its proper light of supporting the health and safety of residents.