Gluckstadt will not have an inspection ordinance in place as of now after the proposed ordinance failed in last month’s meeting.
The ordinance, which would require the city to identify each rental property as well as require their owners to submit a rental application to the city and obtain a permit, was presented by Alderman Lisa Williams who made the motion to pass the ordinance. Alderman Mia Bates seconded the motion while Alderman Wesley Slay abstained and Alderman Jayce Powell and Alderman John Taylor did not vote in favor of the ordinance.
In the event of a tie, the mayor is presented with the option to vote, which Mayor Walter Morrison did not partake in, ultimately leading the ordinance to fail.
The purpose of an inspection ordinance is to have a regulation of rental properties to keep them up to a certain standard, according to the mayor. The ordinance would have required inspections to ensure code compliance – something Morrison doesn’t believe the city yet has the manpower to do.
“I do not think that this is a priority at this time,” Morrison said. “We would need to hire people and purchase equipment in order to enforce the ordinance. In this year’s budget, we have not planned for either, so I did not think the timing was right.”
Morrison said, from what he could gather from the statements made at the meeting, some board members see the need for the ordinance while others don’t see the need or don’t think it is a priority at this time.
“I have not heard a single complaint about rental properties,” Morrison said. “As such, I do not think that this is a priority for the city at this time. Of course, that is always subject to change as we move forward.”
Cities surrounding Gluckstadt have inspection ordinances, including Ridgeland, which has a number of these ordinances.
Ridgeland’s Director of Public Works Alan Hart said Ridgeland has been performing rental inspections since 2023 and most recently adopted the Residential Rental Inspection Code of the City of Ridgeland (RRIC) in November of last year with it going into effect on January 1 of this year. This ordinance requires owners of rental properties within the city to obtain a rental license by completing an application annually including the property’s address, property owner information, the owner’s agent as required if the owner doesn’t live in the tri-county area, the name of the renters, proof of a $15,000 surety bond per residential rental unit, and a $50 application fee.
Owners of residential rental properties have until June 30th to complete this year’s rental application for a rental license with all licenses expiring at the end of the calendar year. Applications for the next year must be filed in December to remain in compliance. The city will send renewal reminders in November, but it remains the responsibility of the owner to apply for the license.
This ordinance has some additional regulations, including a checklist for inspection of a residential rental property, which is in Appendix ‘A’ of the RRIC. This is included with the goal of assisting owners in the inspection process.
“In accordance with Section 113.2, persons or companies that own residential rental property in the City of Ridgeland shall cause each unit to pass inspection every time the unit is vacated and prior to re-occupancy by another tenant,” Hart said. “The City of Ridgeland Inspectors will only perform unoccupied inspections.”
Hart said another requirement is if there is a circumstance where the tenant has been unlawfully permitted to occupy the rental unit, charges may be filed against the owner or owner’s agent for violation of the ordinance.
“In some instances, the City of Ridgeland may permit the owner to pay for an occupied inspection by the city’s third party inspector per the regulations of Section 113.6 of the RRIC,” Hart said. “The fee for the occupied inspection is $650 per inspection per unit payable to the City of Ridgeland who will pay the third party inspector. The owner must pay $450 for a re-inspection prior to each re-inspection.”
In Section 113.4, the ordinance addresses the transferring of a rental unit to a roommate without an inspection. The roommate must have been on the application for the rental license on file for the same unit with the city for more than six months prior to the updated application in order to avoid the inspection requirement.
The RRIC establishes the minimum rental term of 30 days, but requires a license from the mayor and board of alderman for anything less than 90 days with short term rental property prohibited.
Additionally, water and sewer utilities must remain in the tenant’s name while the property is occupied and past due water bills will be the responsibility of the owner if not paid by the tenant.
“Ridgeland has gained years of experience with enforcing its rental regulations,” Hart said. “The purpose of the ordinance is to establish additional regulations and assurances to ensure that housing made available to tenants meets necessary health and safety standards.”
Morrison said he doesn’t yet know when will be the right time for an ordinance of this kind in Gluckstadt without more information.
“If there really is a serious need for this ordinance and the board was inclined to properly budget for additional personnel and equipment, then the time would be right,” Morrison said. “In the end, it is up to the board to determine the extent of the need and whether the financial commitment necessary to enforce the ordinance is worth it.”
