An ordinance designed to address the concerns of rental property owners about township inspections has moved to the drafting stage, with possible approval next month.
Commissioners voted 5-0 on March 10 to authorize Solicitor Joseph Lesniakto prepare the ordinance. Last month, the board and the property owners announced a compromise on municipal oversight based on the work of a committee formed in 2010 after landlords pushed back against an ordinance outlinign new regulations for rental property inspections.
Among the concerns aired by the owners were that the inspections proposed earlier would have been intrusive, too expensive and unnecessary.
The Rental Inspection Committee consisted of landlords, tenants and Nether Providence officials met for several months and presented its recommendations on Feb. 3. The panel’s report calls for a one-time registration fee of $25 to establish a rental property, inspections of rental properties every two years, and township notification of a change in tenants at no cost to the landlord. The committee suggested the program be put in place for a two-year trial period, at the end of which an assessment of its effectiveness could be performed
The commissioners also discussed how to handle rental properties with numerous rental units, such as Wallingford Arms on Wallingford Avenue with 53 units, and the Plush Mills senior living facility on Plush Mill Road with 158 rental units.
Currently, there are 415 rental units registered with Nether Providence Township.
Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086
