Township updates transient retail license and rental‑inspection language in Chapter 13

The board adopted amendments to Chapter 13 of the Warminster Township Code on July 18 to better regulate transient retail businesses and to clarify residential rental licensing language.

Michael Walsh, the township’s planning director, told the board the ordinance creates an annual transient retail business license to distinguish regularly operating mobile vendors from short‑term seasonal sellers and to limit fixed pop‑up retail in residential areas to a set number of occurrences per year. Walsh said the change is intended to prevent properties from functioning as de facto year‑round commercial sites and that a fee schedule amendment to make the license annual will be considered the following week.

Walsh also described revisions to residential rental license language to remove compensation‑based definitions and instead focus inspections on occupant safety — smoke detection, fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide alarms — regardless of whether the occupant pays rent. The board moved, seconded and approved the ordinance amendments without recorded opposition.

The changes will be incorporated into the township’s fee schedule and enforcement processes; Walsh said staff reviewed the draft with the township engineer and assistant manager and recommended adoption.