CURWENSVILLE – Renters and rental property owners in Curwensville have seven days to review a proposed Rental Property Ordinance.
The Curwensville Borough Council voted to advertise the ordinance for seven days before it will be available for final approval at Tuesday’s meeting.
The ordinance sets the responsibilities for owners and responsible agents of rental properties. It specifies that the rental units must be in compliance with all codes, ordinances and other applicable state and local regulations.
The properties must be in good, safe condition and all taxes, utility bills and trash collection fees must be paid.
Owners must register and maintain a license for each property and notify the borough of any occupied and unoccupied units.
Landlords must provide each tenant with a disclosure statement and make tenants aware of the provisions relating to disruptive conduct. Landlords must also ensure each unit is occupied in accordance with the borough’s zoning ordinance.
The rental ordinance outlines the role of a responsible agent if the property owner is not a full-time resident of Clearfield County, and the duties a responsible agent must fulfill.
The ordinance outlines the procedure for obtaining and displaying the licenses for rental units, as well as the duties of the occupants.
Under the rental ordinance, occupants must adhere to all codes, ordinances and state laws. They are not permitted to cause damage to the rental unit, engage in disruptive conduct or disturb other tenants. The tenants must also allow the code enforcement officer to inspect the unit.
According to the rental ordinance, the code enforcement officer can obtain an administrative warrant to compel the inspection of a unit.
Inspections can be conducted prior to occupancy by a new tenant, on a newly constructed unit, or any newly renovated unit.
An inspection can also be conducted upon the change of occupancy of a unit, if a complaint is filed, if disruptive conduct occurs or for any other reasonable cause.
If a violation occurs, the code enforcement officer will issue a notice of violation and reinspect the property after a timeline for abatement has passed. If the violations are not corrected satisfactorily, the code enforcement may revoke the property owner’s license.
The ordinance also outlines penalties and remedies for any violations.
