WATERVILLE, Maine — Some landlords fear a rental registration ordinance being developed by Waterville’s housing committee could lead to unintended consequences that would drive money out of the city.
The purpose of the ordinance — meant to aid code enforcement, police and fire departments — is for Waterville to collect contact information about landlords and document the types of rental properties in the city, said Chair Rebecca Green, who also serves on the housing committee. The ordinance also will allow the city to maintain dialogue with tenants and landlords.
The ordinance spurred a long discussion during the Waterville City Council meeting Tuesday, but councilors did not consider the language, which is being revised after months of consideration and feedback from the Central Maine Apartment Owners Association.
Cities and towns across Maine, including Waterville, are dealing with a crisis that has dried up housing stock and increased the cost of rentals. The rental registration ordinance — based on a similar measure that has operated in Lewiston for about a year and a half — is meant to make sure properties are safe and that landlords can be reached easily in an emergency, according to Waterville city officials. But landlords are concerned that it’s another regulation that would make doing business in Waterville too difficult for them to remain.
“Are we going to be driving investment dollars over the dotted line to Winslow, Fairfield, Oakland, Augusta [and] Skowhegan if Waterville moves ahead with a registration that these other cities have not?” said Dan Bernier, who represents the Central Maine Apartment Owners Association. “We’re already seen landlords coming up here from Portland because of the regime Portland is imposing on landlords.”
He questioned what a registration achieves that the code enforcement department couldn’t accomplish through its existing powers. Waterville already has access to a detailed list of property owners through tax records, he said.
Bernier agreed that phone numbers would be useful and sensible landlords would provide them, but he argued a “large regulatory regime” isn’t necessary. He is concerned about the ordinance’s unintended consequences that could come from a long list of requirements, a fee for registration and penalties.
The registration would require landlords to provide contact information for a building’s owner and emergency contact, the number and type of dwelling units, the year of construction if known, documentation on lead status and fire alarm equipment and a completed safety checklist, Green said.
There would not be a fee for the registration, which is not a license, and there are no new requirements associated with it, she said.
It can be cumbersome to track down landlords through other records, and the code enforcement officer has asked city officials for landlords’ contact information to help the department do its job, Green said. This isn’t to penalize property owners, but rather to ensure safe conditions.
Bernier gave councilors a letter detailing more than 25 legal concerns with the ordinance. He did not read them at Tuesday’s meeting, but did raise concerns about a few things such as lead paint and if there would be regulations in addition to those imposed by the state and federal governments.
The vast majority of the housing stock in Waterville was built before 1939, so there are bound to be code issues that might pose a problem, Green said. The ordinance is about establishing a positive relationship between public safety entities and landlords, she said.
Waterville has a high percentage of local landlords, though it’s seeing an influx in out-of-town landlords leaving places like Portland, Bernier said. The city should want to continue to encourage local landlords, he said.
Mayor Jay Coelho, who has experience as a landlord, said he’s heard the same arguments and discussions about the ordinance have led to misinformation. Registration would allow the city to compile data about its housing stock, which gives it a chance to better see the community’s needs, he said.
The city must be able to reach a landlord, for example, who owns 50 apartments, especially if there’s a threat to public safety, he said. Landlords should want the city to be able to reach them if an issue arises.
“Let’s work as a team,” he said. “We are not adversaries. We want the same goal.”