Revere council forms working group to study rental-property registry and inspections

The Revere City Council voted to ask the mayor to form a working group to develop a citywide rental-property registration and inspection program, citing enforcement challenges for rooming houses and the need for a comprehensive property list.

Councilor Agencio introduced the verbal motion, saying the program would require rental property owners to register with the city and would create an inspection cadence modeled after systems in Lynn and Boston. He said those cities inspect roughly 20% of rental properties each year on a five-year rotation and impose modest registration and re-registration fees.

Councilors pressed for details. Councilor Novoszewski expressed concern that added registration fees would be passed to tenants and urged committee review. Councilor Garrino Suaya asked that condos rented by owners be included. Councilor Cogliandro recused himself from the vote. Supporters said the working group would allow staff and council to address staffing needs for inspections and to design appropriate fee structures and exemptions.

After debate, the council approved the motion to form the working group; the clerk recorded one recusal. The motion directs the mayor to assemble ISD, the solicitor's office and any other departments deemed appropriate to draft a registration and inspection program and to report back to the council.

Councilors emphasized that the working group's purpose is study and design only; any proposed ordinance would return to the council for deliberation and a formal vote.