Duluth staff propose tighter timelines, expanded citations for rental licensing enforcement

Duluth city staff told the City Council in a study session that they plan to tighten enforcement of the city—s long-term rental licensing rules, recommending a shorter compliance window for tenant-verified repairs, expanded use of administrative citations and increased reliance on reinspection and no-show fees.

The presentation by Deputy Chief John Otis, who oversees the Fire Department—s Life Safety Division, and Life Safety Supervisor Greg Smith described the division—s current inspection workload, recent staffing changes and proposed ordinance-level changes to speed compliance for habitability issues.

The proposal matters because about 40% of Duluth—s residential structures are licensed as long-term rentals; staff said the city currently holds nearly 5,500 licenses covering roughly 17,800 units and adds about 125 new licenses a year. Inspections occur on a three-year cycle and staff reported their inspection backlog fell from roughly three years after COVID layoffs to about eight months as of the presentation.

Staff described how enforcement already works and what would change. The office currently charges a $125 no-show fee and a $125 reinspection fee when landlords miss scheduled inspections or fail to complete ordered repairs. Administrative…