Jeannette considers licensing of rental properties; 3-year inspection cycle

Inspections of residential rental units are headed for a shift in Jeannette, one that city officials said will hold landlords accountable when they are behind on property taxes or garbage bills.

A proposed ordinance that got an initial approval by council Thursday would change the city’s rental inspections from a registration to a license format. Solicitor Tim Witt said that will allow city officials to deny licenses to landlords who are behind on property taxes or garbage bills under Act 90, the Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act of 2010.

“If somebody has a delinquent garbage bill, they come to the city to get one of those licenses … they can be denied that license under Act 90,” Witt said. “That’s the key thing because now it’s a license as opposed to just a registration.”

An ordinance requiring inspections of residential rental units has been on the books in Jeannette since 2015. Then, it required inspections every two years or when there was a change in occupant. The ordinance was updated in 2023 to require inspections every 10 years if the occupant remained the same.

The proposed revamped ordinance also reduces the inspection period from 10 years without a change in tenant to three years, said city manager Ethan Keedy. Checks will continue when a new tenant moves in.

“Ten years was a significantly long time to do inspections, without a change in occupancy a lot can change within the structure,” he said. “The average within the Commonwealth was about three years.”

Inspections are handled by the fire department or code enforcement.

Fire Chief Bill Frye estimated 50% of the city’s housing stock is rentals.

Mayor Curtis Antoniak gladly gave an initial approval to the proposed change. He pointed to $1.2 million in outstanding garbage bills owed to the city as a reason.

“We have so many landlords … that are collecting rent and not paying their sanitation bills,” he said. “It’s outrageous.”

Information obtained by the Trib showed there is $1.12 million owed by residential accounts and nearly $40,000 owed by commercial accounts. Keedy cautioned that the amount has accrued over many years and needs to be examined further to determine if there are closed businesses or vacant homes that are being billed, so the amount could be lower.

The sanitation department remains profitable, he said.

The outstanding balance was a driving force in revamping the ordinance, Witt said.

Council also gave an initial OK to a proposed ordinance that would enact annual inspections at commercial properties. Keedy said that initiative would go towards improving Jeannette’s insurance rating that affects homeowner insurance costs.

Commercial properties are not currently inspected.

Both proposed ordinances will be up for final votes in December when council will consider how much to charge for fees.

Councilwoman Michelle Langdon encouraged residents and business owners to review the proposed ordinances on the city’s website and contact council members if they have questions or an opinion. The documents will be available at cityofjeannette.com by Friday or Monday.

“Tonight, council will be voting on several important ordinances that will impact businesses, landlords, homeowners and renters throughout the city,” she said.