Owners of rental units have until July 10 to register with the city.
By: Linda Seida
LAMBERTVILLE Landlords have until July 10 to register their rental units with the city under the terms of a new ordinance aimed at cracking down on illegal boardinghouses.
The new law requires landlords to file a registration statement annually. They also must pay a $50 registration fee each year. Beginning in 2007, the registration statements must be renewed by March 1.
The ordinance went into effect April 10. It establishes minimum standards for occupancy and limits the maximum number of occupants.
Officials designed the ordinance to stop landlords from exceeding the maximum number and turning the rental units into boardinghouse-style dwellings.
The city already is prosecuting one landlord for a violation, according to Mayor David Del Vecchio.
Robert Groff of Swan Street faces a penalty of up to $2,500 for allowing three people to reside in an illegal basement unit, the mayor said. He also could face 90 days of community service, imprisonment or both. The case is scheduled for municipal court Aug. 17.
He was caught by an anonymous tip, according to city Clerk Lori Buckelew.
An inspector found that "mattresses covered the entire floor space except for the kitchen and bathroom," she said.
The ordinance calls for a minimum of 70 square feet of living space for the first occupant of a rental unit and a minimum of an additional 50 square feet for a second occupant, excluding bathrooms and kitchens.
Mr. Groff’s basement measured 22 feet by 6.5 feet, including the kitchen area, and the bathroom measured 6 feet by 6.5 feet. Based on the square footage, "nobody should be living there," Ms. Buckelew said.
So far, 26 buildings with a total of 68 dwelling units have been registered with the city, and "more are in the process," according to Ms. Buckelew.
The filing of false information on a landlord registration statement could result in a minimum fine of $250 plus court costs for the first offense up to a maximum of $2,500 plus court costs for a third violation.
Immediately after the City Council passed the ordinance in March, complaints of suspected illegal rentals were pouring in "almost daily," according to Council President Cynthia Ege. Often, however, by the time an inspector arrived a day later, the tenants had packed up and gone.
"They find out somebody had made some type of call," Mrs. Ege said. "In the middle of the night, they move beds out; they move everything out. I don’t know how they found out."
The council has agreed to evaluate the new law after six months to see if it’s working.
In the meantime, Mayor Del Vecchio said he thinks it’s "too soon to tell."
Mrs. Ege said, "I haven’t had any recent complaints, which would lead me to believe things are going better."