Source: https://www.ecode360.com/8641158
Timestamp: 2018-10-15 10:16:34
Document Index: 572425671

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208', '§ 208']

City of Pleasantville, NJ Rental Housing
§ 208-1 Program established.
§ 208-2 Enforcing agency.
§ 208-4 Purpose and scope.
§ 208-5 Powers and duties of Department.
§ 208-6 Registration permit and fee.
§ 208-7 Application information.
§ 208-8 Designation of person to receive notice and correct violations.
§ 208-9 Inspections.
§ 208-10 Tenants and leases.
§ 208-11 Responsibility for tenant supervision; eviction.
§ 208-12 Violations and penalties.
Chapter 208: Rental Housing
[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Pleasantville 2-21-2007 by Ord. No. 9-2006. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Rent control — See Ch. 215.
Chapter 208 : Rental Housing
There is established in the City of Pleasantville, County of Atlantic, State of New Jersey (hereinafter the "City") a Rental Housing Registration Program which shall be governed by the provisions and regulations described herein.
It shall be the duty and the responsibility of the Construction/Code Department (hereinafter the "Department") of the City of Pleasantville to enforce the provisions and regulations herein.
[Amended 6-16-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008; 4-20-2009 by Ord. No. 9-2009; 12-7-2015 by Ord. No. 22-2015]
The City of Pleasantville, County of Atlantic, State of New Jersey.
The Construction/Code Department of the City of Pleasantville.
Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle or aunt.
A house, dwelling, apartment unit, multiple-dwelling unit, boardinghouse, rooming house or any portion of a structure used for human habitation or occupancy and rented, leased or otherwise occupied or offered for occupancy for consideration that includes in-kind or other services. When any person, partnership, firm, corporation or other entity shall by means or use of signs, circulars, business cards, newspapers, Internet, radio, television, word of mouth or other means of publication or communication advertise, offer or solicit a tenancy, whether actively or passively, a presumption shall be created that the house, dwelling, apartment unit, multiple-dwelling unit, boardinghouse, rooming house or structure is being operated as a residential rental unit requiring registration under the provisions of this Chapter 208. A unit previously occupied or offered for occupancy as a residential rental unit but presently vacant shall continue to require annual registration under this section until or unless the owner takes affirmative action to remove the property from the rental market, whether by sale, personal occupancy or otherwise.
The purpose of these regulations is to establish the standards and manner by which residential rental units within the City shall be maintained and occupied to protect the public health, safety and welfare.
These regulations shall not apply to hotels, motels, boardinghouses, rooming services and other residential units which are generally occupied by guests or tenants for less than 30 successive days.
These regulations shall not apply to residential rental units owned by or managed by the Pleasantville Housing Authority.
The Department shall have those powers which are necessary to carry out the intent and purposes of these regulations, including but not limited to the following enumerated powers:
To investigate the dwelling conditions within the City to determine which apartments, dwellings or other structures have residential rental units.
To investigate those residential rental units to ensure compliance with these regulations and Chapter 207, Property Maintenance, of this Code.
To delegate any of the functions and powers of the Department to employees of the City as the Construction Official shall designate.
The Housing Inspector is authorized to enter any structure at reasonable times for the purpose of making inspections and performing duties under these regulations. If entry is refused, or not obtained, the Housing Inspector may apply for an order from the Municipal Court or any other court of competent jurisdiction authorizing entry.
[Amended 6-16-2008 by Ord. No. 13-2008]
Each residential rental unit shall be registered annually on or before March 31 of each year. Units newly placed on the rental market during the registration term shall be registered prior to occupancy or within 14 days of the date the unit is offered for rental, whichever occurs first. The term of the registration shall be from January 1 to December 31 of each year. The registration fee shall be $50 per year. Units not registered by March 31 shall pay a late fee of $25. Likewise, new rental units not registered within 30 days of the date for registration, as set forth above, shall pay a late fee of $25.
[Amended 4-20-2009 by Ord. No. 9-2009; 12-7-2015 by Ord. No. 22-2015]
Notwithstanding the fees and schedule established in Subsection A above, the registration term for 2007 shall commence on April 1, 2007 and end on December 31, 2007. The annual registration fee for this nine-month period in 2007 shall be $35 if applied for before May 31, 2007, and $55 if applied for thereafter. This reduction in fees and altered schedule shall apply to calendar year 2007 only and such adjustments are resulting from the fact that this chapter has been adopted in the first quarter of 2007.
No residential rental unit shall be occupied unless it is registered with the City and is occupied in compliance with these regulations and Chapter 207, Property Maintenance, of this Code.
No registration permit shall be issued until the unit has been inspected and found to be in compliance with these regulations and the Property Maintenance Code. An inspection which results in a satisfactory rating shall be valid for one year from the inspection date. However, the Housing Inspector may reinspect any residential rental unit during the year when he has reasonable grounds to believe that the unit is no longer in compliance with these regulations.
The registration fee shall include the initial inspection and one reinspection if required and the annual registration permit. Any other reinspection required by the Housing Inspector, including cancellations during the year, shall result in an additional charge of $25 per inspection. If the landlord cancels the inspection more than once, it will result in an additional fee.
Notwithstanding the above, if a residential rental unit has been the subject of an occupancy inspection, and if such occupancy inspection resulted in the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for such unit, and if such inspection and issuance of a certificate of occupancy has occurred within the 60 days immediately preceding the filing of the application for a registration permit, then, in that event, no inspection is required. The application must still be filed and the permit fee must be paid; however, the initial inspection that accompanies the application for a registration permit shall be waived.
Any owner or operator of a residential rental unit subject to registration under this chapter who does not obtain such registration within 60 days of the time for registration as set forth in § 208-6A above shall be subject to the penalties set forth in § 208-12.
[Added 4-20-2009 by Ord. No. 9-2009; 12-7-2015 by Ord. No. 22-2015]
At the time that a residential rental unit is registered, an application shall be completed which contains the following information:
The name, address and telephone number of the record owner or owners of the premises. In the case of a partnership, this information shall be provided for all general partners. In the case of a corporation, this information shall be provided for the registered agent and all corporate officers.
The address of the residential rental unit, the exact number of all separate units at that address and the designation for each unit.
The exact number of sleeping rooms contained within each residential unit and the total square footage for each sleeping room.
The exact number of people who occupy each residential unit and their names, and in the case of children under 18 years of age, their ages shall also be provided. If the residential rental unit is unoccupied at the time that the application is completed, this information shall be provided as soon as the unit is occupied.
The Department has the authority to amend the application to include additional required information.
Subject to the provisions of § 208-10, if any of the information set forth on the application in response to Subsections A through E above or to § 208-8 should change during the term of the registration, the owner shall provide the updated and amended information to the City within 20 days of the change.
[Added 4-20-2009 by Ord. No. 9-2009; amended 12-7-2015 by Ord. No. 22-2015]
Each person who owns a residential rental unit within the City shall designate a natural person or agent who resides within the county to receive the notice of violation and to correct any violations of these regulations or Chapter 207, Property Maintenance, of this Code. The natural person or agent shall be named in the application when it is filed.
Each residential rental unit shall be inspected annually. After completion of the application and payment of the registration fee, the Housing Inspector shall inspect the residential rental unit to ensure compliance with these regulations and the Property Maintenance Code. The Housing Inspector shall make a report promptly after each inspection.
After the initial annual inspection, if the residential rental unit does not comply with the aforesaid regulations, a notice of violation shall be served on the owner or agent in the form and manner prescribed by the Property Maintenance Code. The Housing Inspector shall reinspect the residential rental unit after the notice of violation has been served and the time has expired for correction of the violations, or such time as the owner advises the Housing Inspector that the corrections have been made and that the owner is requesting a reinspection.
If violations still exist, any further reinspections of the residential rental unit shall be at the discretion of the Housing Inspector, and a complaint may be filed with the Municipal Court for enforcement of these regulations and the Property Maintenance Code.
If the residential rental unit is damaged by fire or other cause, the reinspection shall be required to ensure compliance with these regulations and the Property Maintenance Code.
If the residential rental unit is occupied at the time it is registered with the Department, the owner or agent shall provide the Department with a list containing the names of all occupants of the premises for the term of the rental period. If the residential rental unit is unoccupied, the list shall be provided as soon as the unit is occupied. A copy of this list shall be maintained on the premises for inspection upon request. If the occupants change during the year, a new list shall be submitted to the Department within 20 days of the change.
Residential rental units shall not be occupied by more people than permitted by the minimum area requirements. Every room occupied for sleeping purposes by one person shall contain at least 70 square feet of floor area. Every room occupied for sleeping purposes by more than one person shall contain at least 50 square feet of floor area for each occupant thereof.
It shall be unlawful for an owner to knowingly rent and a tenant to occupy a residential rental unit with occupants that exceed the number allowed on the premises based on the available sleeping rooms and square footage.
The lease for each residential rental unit shall contain language in it which states that the lease is subject to these regulations. This requirement shall apply to all leases executed after the adoption of these regulations by the City.
The owner or agent of a residential rental unit shall inform the tenants of these regulations, and shall require that each adult tenant sign a copy of the receipt form acknowledging that the tenant has received a copy of these regulations. A copy of this document shall be filed with the Department. This requirement applies to all existing tenants and future tenants.
Owners of residential rental units shall be held to standards of responsibility in the selection of tenants and the supervision of rental properties. If during any twelve-month period on three separate occasions, tenants of a residential rental unit are convicted of criminal offenses, disorderly persons offenses, or ordinance violations involving noisy or tumultuous behavior for activities on the property or attributed to the occupancy of the property, the owner is responsible for a violation of these regulations if he has not taken legal action to evict the tenants.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter or who provides false information, forged or falsified documents or improperly reproduces registration applications or registrations shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days and/or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days for a first offense. For a second or subsequent offense, the minimum fine shall be $250. A separate offense shall be deemed committed for each day during which a violation occurs or continues and for each unit subject to registration.