Woodstock considers inspection of rental properties

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WOODSTOCK – City Council members Tuesday night will discuss starting a "Residential Rental Dwelling Inspection Program" that could result in a reduction in the number of transients in town.

About 38 percent of the 8,976 dwelling units in the city are rental properties, according to the city.

To create such a program, the city would have to adopt maintenance regulations for rental properties, register landlords, establish a criteria for inspections, outline an administrative adjudication process, and possibly hire more personnel to help administer the program, said Jim Kastner, Woodstock's planning and zoning administrator.

Over the summer, the number of transients in Woodstock became a subject of discussion at several council meetings.

Some residents complained that city police were spending too much time clearing the homeless and children on skateboards out of the central business district, which includes the historic Square, and not enough time policing the city neighborhoods.

"Property maintenance standards would complement the city's nuisance regulations and would provide specific occupancy limits for rental properties," according to city documents.

City Manager Tim Clifton said Friday that the purpose of the ordinance was to address "property maintenance and safety."

"I don't anticipate any action Tuesday night," Clifton said. "I'm looking for direction from the City Council. They could direct us to look into it further."

Registering landlords would allow the city to have a contact person in the event of a violation of the housing code.

From 55 percent to 65 percent of all complaints made to the city's Community and Economic Development Department had to do with rental properties, and city officials said landlords often were hard to find.

A landlord registration program could take as long as three years to implement. Woodstock staff members are studying housing codes that have been adopted by Elgin, Mount Prospect and Palatine..

If you go...

The Woodstock City Council will discuss changes to the housing code at a meeting that starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday at 121 W. Calhoun St., Woodstock.