Rental Registration Ordinance could move out of committee on September 1

QUINCY – There may be a few more tweaks to go, but it look like an ordinance establishing a process to register rental properties in the City of Quincy may move out of committee on September 1.

At a meeting of the Residential Rental Property Registration Committee held Wednesday afternoon, a revised version of the ordinance was presented that removed several sections that landlords wanted removed.

The revised ordinance is available in the link below, pages 21-34:

Committee member Janet Conover wanted some of the removed items put back in, including a section that would allow the city to inspect any residential rental property which receives a complaint from a tenant. She also had concerns about a supermajority being needed to enact or change the ordinance, when a simple majority is needed for nearly all business before the City Council, except budgetary items.

Landlords on the committee answered concerns from some in the audience that they weren’t concerned about the “bad landlords” because decent housing is at a premium.

“Even the good (landlords) are concerned about the bad ones,” said Committee member Colon Carbine. “But at the end of the day, it’s about the market.”

Quincy Treasurer Linda Moore said the City has about $108,000 in bad debt from nuisance abatements on rentals and had only collected $1,500 of that.

Quincy Treasurer Linda Moore also presented data regarding the burden of rental property nuisances on taxpayers.

Moore said the City has about $108,000 in bad debt from nuisance abatements on rentals and had only collected $1,500 of that and it is difficult to get in touch with landlords because the notices go to the property and the tenants don’t always pass along the information.