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Chester officials explain landlord registration process after complaints about penalties and missed mailings
Summary
Council members and treasury staff discussed landlord registration enforcement at the May 12 deliberative meeting, addressing why invoices and penalties were applied, how notices were mailed, and how billing errors and unit-count disputes are handled.
Council members raised multiple complaints about the city’s rental-property registration process at the May 12 deliberative meeting, and treasury staff provided a timeline of mailings, invoicing and penalty rules.
A council member asked why a $50 penalty had been added when some landlords said they had not received notices of the $200 annual registration fee. Treasury staff member Judy told council that invoices were mailed on Dec. 12, 2024, and that the due date for the current year had been extended to Feb. 3, 2025. Staff said invoicing for the registration began in October 2023 and that the registration ordinance was approved by council in April 2023.
Judy said the city used the trash-billing mailing list to reach property owners and that letters were sent to the mailing address on file for trash bills. She said that if a property owner can show the property is not a rental, staff will remove the charge. She also said the city adjusts bills when inspections confirm the actual number of units differs from county records; she cited one boarding-house case where an inspector verified eight units and the bill was adjusted from 11 units to eight.
On penalties, staff said property owners were given time to pay and that penalties applied if payment arrived after the due date. A council member pressed on fairness when a property owner reports never receiving a letter; Judy responded, “If you don't get your invoice, you need to call and tell us.”
Staff acknowledged ongoing coordination with Delaware County to reconcile unit counts and said some accounts remain under review. Council members urged staff to continue outreach and to follow up on individual cases brought to them during the meeting.
Ending: Treasury staff asked affected property owners to provide contact information after the meeting so staff could review individual accounts and correct errors where warranted.
