Lititz zoning officer outlines 12-year rental inspection program; about one-third of housing registered as rentals

Lititz Borough zoning officer Laurie McIntarfer presented the borough’s Residential Rental Registration and Inspection Program, in place since July 1, 2013, and described how the program operates, what inspectors check, and how disruptive conduct is handled.

Why it matters: Rental housing constitutes a substantial portion of Lititz’s housing stock; McIntarfer told council that about one‑third of the borough’s 3,765 residential units are registered rentals. The program is intended to protect tenant health and safety, notify owners of police disturbances, and ensure minimum life‑safety standards in rental units.

Key program details presented: - Registration: Owners or agents must register rental units and pay an annual fee ($78 per unit) each year (July 1–Oct. 30); reminder notices are mailed in June. McIntarfer maintains the registry using utility billing and county assessment data and follows up on ownership changes. - Inspection cycle and process: The borough is divided into three inspection sections; each rental unit must be inspected at least once every three years. Once the owner pays the registration fee, the owner or agent schedules an inspection with the borough’s third‑party code administrator. Inspectors provide a report; owners have 30 days to correct identified deficiencies and schedule a reinspection at no charge. - What is inspected: The checklist focuses on life‑safety items (operational smoke detectors, handrails, wiring covers, hot‑water heater blowoffs and other UCC‑related items). Other property‑maintenance issues not covered by the rental checklist are enforced under the borough’s property‑maintenance code. - Disruptive conduct: Police incidents verified as disruptive get reported to code enforcement and then to McIntarfer; after three verified disruptive incidents in a year, the owner must pursue eviction or face fines. McIntarfer said, in 12 years of the program, two cases required district‑justice eviction actions after owner filing.

Staff noted benefits and follow-up: Borough staff and council members described the program as having cleaned up safety issues and improved owner awareness; other municipalities in the region are now beginning similar programs. McIntarfer noted that owners who live more than 50 miles from a property must designate a local agent for service.

Discussion v. decision: This presentation was informational; no council action was requested or taken at the meeting. Council members encouraged resident questions and said the program’s practices will remain part of broader housing policy discussions.