Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rental Program Transition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Erie staff propose in-house rental inspections, higher per-unit fees and added inspectors
Summary
City staff proposed moving rental inspections in-house, raising the per-unit registration/inspection fee from $40 to $55, adding inspectors and clerks, and imposing a $150 per-unit no-show/reinspection fee to improve oversight, coordination and cost recovery.
City staff told an Erie City Council study session they want to bring the city’s rental inspection program in-house, raise per-unit fees and add staff to improve oversight, speed complaint responses and recoup program costs.
“We’re really proposing updates to our rental and mechanical inspection services,” Catherine Easterling, director of neighborhood and economic development, said while outlining the bureau’s plan to centralize intake, inspection and enforcement within the city. Easterling said the goal is to strengthen housing quality and property maintenance while capturing revenue currently paid to outside contractors.
Why it matters: staff said the current model outsources inspections to Building Inspection Underwriters (BIU) while the city keeps licensing and administrative functions. The city licenses 13,489 rental units and staff reported BIU inspectors see roughly seven to nine units per day. In 2025 the rental program brought in $485,465 (including some recouped prior-year funds); staff said the program as currently run shows an estimated $132,000 shortfall.
Key proposals: the administration recommends eliminating the deficiency-driven four-year inspection cycle and moving to a consistent two-year standard for most properties, with high-risk properties inspected annually. Staff proposed raising the per-unit registration/inspection fee from $40 to $55 and adding a $150 per-unit fee for no-shows, late cancels and reinspections. To run the in-house program, Easterling proposed expanding staffing to three rental clerks (total), four inspectors (total) and one assistant bureau chief, with the caveat that the city must consult with AFSCME about changes to positions.
Staff said the in-house model would improve data collection (including GIS integration over time), make enforcement timelier, and allow the city to coordinate inspections with property-maintenance efforts. “We have to show that we’re not making money on this,” a council member said as staff explained they will allocate additional management costs into the program to approach revenue neutrality.
Council concerns and next steps: council members pressed for explicit rubrics to ensure equitable enforcement across neighborhoods and for tenant and landlord education before new enforcement steps take effect. Staff said they will present proposed ordinance language in June, must give BIU 90 days’ notice to end the contract, and could implement an in-house model as early as September if council approves the ordinances and staffing.
The study session did not include a council vote; staff requested feedback and said they plan outreach with the apartment association and peer cities before returning with ordinance language.
