LIMA, OH (WLIO)-
The City of Lima is currently drafting an ordinance that would create a rental registry to improve living conditions in rental properties and could have its first reading within the next several weeks.
On Monday night, the Committee for Community and Economic Development held a public meeting to discuss what this registry could look like for area landlords and tenants. The proposed registration would not serve as a punitive measure but rather as a way to improve communication and response between the city and property owners to ensure all complaints and code violations are handled properly. The registry program would also come with property inspections in three-year cycles. With the majority of Lima residents renting properties, councilors strive to hold landlords accountable to ensure safe living conditions and property values are upheld.
"We have such a high rental population here. We are 55% rental occupied, and in my ward, we're 65% rental occupied, and most cities that are like college towns are larger cities or just environments where you know you are going to have a lot of people coming in, they put these in place to basically maintain their neighborhoods, maintain their property values," says Carla Thompson, Third Ward Councilor, Lima City Council.
Should the ordinance be passed, the City of Lima would join a large list of other cities including Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland for having rental registries. The ordinance will go before council within the next several weeks.
