After more than 7 years of planning, the City of Lima is launching a new process to take stock of rental properties within the city. The city council passed the legislation back in January, and the rental housing unit registration process is up and running. Any property owner who has rental units is required to register those units with the city. Whether it is one or 50 units, they must be registered. City officials say that 56% of the housing in the city is rental property. The new registration will provide information about the properties that will help keep track of the condition and ownership of the units.

Members of Lima's Economic and Community Development Committee discussed the proposal during Monday's meeting. Members talked through different types of aspects that would need to be clarified if a proposal would be passed. The goal of the Landlord Licensing System is to make sure tenants are moving into livable rental units. Landlords would need to acquire a yearly license, with inspections on rental properties that would need to be passed once every three years or when a new tenant is found.