An owner not living within 20 miles of the city must designate a property manager who does live within 20 miles of the city to improve response to problems and maintenance of the building. If a landlord does not maintain the property, the city can correct problems and charge the landlord costs plus 10 percent. The number of unrelated tenants in an apartment cannot exceed five, and they are forbidden from breaking the peace of the neighborhood. Tenants convicted of three neighborhood disruptions in a year can be evicted. The limit of five unrelated tenants is already a city ordinance, but it has seldom been enforced.
Tenants are responsible for disposing of trash, recycling materials and other waste.
There are 7,000 rentals units in Bethlehem.