Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rental Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Montrose council to pause rental inspections after landlords, residents urge more outreach
Summary
After extensive public comment from landlords and residents about short notice, fees and inspection rules, the City of Montrose agreed to hold a workshop and pause enforcement of the new rental-licensing inspections until stakeholders can meet with city staff.
Hundreds of rental units and dozens of landlords were at the center of heated public comment at the City of Montrose council meeting on Feb. 9, when landlords, property managers and residents asked the city to delay enforcement of a newly adopted rental-licensing program and to hold a workshop to address concerns.
Jonathan Danielson, a Montrose-area property owner, told the council the program felt “shoved down our throats without talking to us,” and said fees and new inspection requirements threaten to push up rents and strain small landlords’ finances. Other speakers echoed that they received little or inconsistent notice and that mandatory inspections could be costly for owners and disruptive for tenants.
City staff said paperwork for the licensing program began going out in October but acknowledged problems getting contact information for some owners. “So all of this paperwork started going out in October,” a city staff speaker said, noting attempts to reach out and some failed mailings.
Residents and owners raised a range of specific concerns: whether mobile-home parks and HOA‑managed complexes are included, how often inspections will occur, whether a requirement that units be restricted to “one family” could conflict with federal fair‑housing law, and how the city will handle tenants who refuse entry. Landlord Scott Storbon warned that some tenants are likely to refuse inspections and asked what enforcement would look like.
Mayor (S1) told the audience the city would set up a workshop to go over the ordinance and suggested pausing inspection enforcement while stakeholders meet. “I’m gonna suggest that we do put a pause on that right now,” the mayor said. The council agreed to schedule a workshop and directed staff to coordinate with landlords and property managers to provide clearer guidance and direct electronic contact options.
What happens next: the city will contact property owners for workshop scheduling and asked landlords to provide confirmed email addresses so the city can send materials directly. Staff said they will use the workshop to clarify fee structure, inspection frequency and which properties are included.
Provenance: Topic introduced in public comment beginning SEG 600 and continued through SEG 1450.
