Council considers rental‑inspection program; staff to refine options and brief Public Health & Safety committee

Narberth Borough Council discussed a proposed rental‑inspection and rental‑registration program at its June 5 work session and asked borough staff to return with additional analysis and model ordinances for committee review.

Why it matters: Council members said the tool is intended to give the borough a clearer way to identify and address health‑and‑safety issues in rental housing and to provide a path for tenants to seek borough assistance when serious conditions — such as loss of heat or other habitability problems — arise. Staff presented options for scope, frequency, staffing and fee structures and said a prior draft ordinance from 2021 exists but was not adopted.

Key points from staff presentation - Housing profile: Using 2020 U.S. Census data staff said Narberth had 1,953 households; 56% owner‑occupied and 44% renter‑occupied, with roughly 40% of structures multi‑unit and 60% single‑unit types. Staff noted renter share is higher than county averages. - Draft ordinance and authority: Staff located a 2021 draft ordinance that would establish a residential rental licensing and inspection program (definitions, owner duties, registration, inspection process, fees, enforcement, appeals). Staff said the draft reached committee review in 2021 but was not adopted. - Inspection models discussed: (a) complaint‑based inspections only; (b) inspections at every tenant turnover; (c) an initial baseline inventory/inspection of all rental units phased in over time (for example, dividing the borough into districts and cycling inspections). Staff described tradeoffs in staff time, efficiency and predictability for each model. - Enforcement and legal process: Staff advised early consultation with the magisterial district justice (MDJ) because inspections that proceed without owner consent may require administrative search warrants; staff said property maintenance and building‑code enforcement paths already exist for acute health and safety complaints. - Staffing and fees: Staff discussed whether the borough would use a third‑party code official or hire/assign an in‑house inspector; the presenters said fees should be set to recover program costs and that fee models in other municipalities range widely (examples cited: a per‑unit registration fee of ~$35 or hourly inspection fees around $75). Staff said the program could be cost‑neutral over time if fees cover inspection and administration costs. - Tax compliance cross‑checking: Staff said a rental registration list could help the borough and tax collector (Berkheimer) cross‑check local business privilege tax (BPT) and earned‑income tax (EIT) data and identify discrepancies in residency reporting.

Council concerns and committee referral Councilmembers debated scope. Several members favored a targeted, complaint‑and‑turnover approach to start, rather than immediately inspecting every rental unit, and asked staff to examine resource implications and software needs to administer registrations and inspections. Council asked staff to gather model ordinances from similarly sized municipalities, estimate costs, and bring recommendations to the Public Health & Safety committee for refinement.

Next steps Staff will contact peer municipalities, refine cost and staffing estimates, review the 2021 draft ordinance and bring a follow‑up report and recommended path (and potential software solutions) to the Public Health & Safety committee for a recommendation to council.