The most significant aspect of this from our current code is that if you’re renting to family members, that requires rental inspections and permit now. That’s one aspect of it. The issuance of licenses is unchanged.”

John Hinzman, Community Development Director

Rental of dwelling units to “immediate housing members” will no longer be exempt from permit requirements.

The Hastings City Council approved ordinance revisions affecting property maintenance and residential rentals at its meeting Monday, Sept. 18.

In the updated ordinances, owners of rental properties in Hastings who reside in St. Croix or Pierce County, Wisconsin will no longer have to have a property management agent who lives in the seven-county metro area.

The ordinances also stipulate that “responsibility for compliance is the responsibility of the property owner” if there are violations at the rental property.

One item that brought up some council debate was that rental of dwelling units to “immediate housing members” will no longer be exempt from permit requirements.

Community Development Director John Hinzman said that last year the city transferred rental inspections for housing from the building department to the fire department, under the supervision of Fire Inspector Jamie Stevens. The updated ordinances are the result of his work.

No one spoke at a public hearing on the matter, and Councilmember Tina Folch asked if rentals owners were notified of the coming changes.

“I was just wondering, John, has there been any outreach to landlords currently to make them aware that we were having this change in the city ordinance? Did you send them a notice? I’m sure that you have a database of landlords who are permitted, correct?” she asked.

Hinzman said the hearing noticed was published in the Hastings Journal and on the city website.

Folch then asked if there would be any work with landlords after the fact to alert them of changes.

“Sending an after the facts notice to our landlords to let them know that we’ve made these changes, are you going to do anything more than that, like have a training opportunity or PowerPoint presentation online or anything to that effect to assist in educating our landlords so that they’re aware of these changes and how they should be going about making any changes to any practices or who to call for questions and things of that nature?” asked Folch.

Hinzman responded, “Not really. The most significant aspect of this from our current code is that if you’re renting to family members, that requires rental inspections and permit now. That’s one aspect of it. The issuance of licenses is unchanged.”

Folch said forcing inspection in family situations could be harmful, in that many times families help out with housing.

“I don’t want to place that undue burden on families who are just keeping housing within their own families,” said Folch. “It sounds like in this instance that we’ll be imposing new requirement on folks who may not have felt that they were a landlord in that position. If I have an extra house and all my kids are living in it, I’m suddenly an official landlord, and then I have to get a permit to allow my own children to live in a house of mind. Is that what you’re saying?”

Hinzman said that’s the case if it’s a separate rental unit.

“It’s not a bedroom that you are living in. It’s when you have a separate unit with the building, a separate kitchen, a separate unit. It’s a different threshold than, for example, my kids or family member is using a room for a period of time. That would still continue to not be required to have a rental permit. If you have a separate unit, regardless of whether it was a family member or a member of the public, it would have to have a rental permit,” he said.