Revere council forms working group to draft rental registration and inspection ordinance
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Summary
The Revere City Council voted to create a working group to draft a rental-property registration and inspection ordinance after councilors debated scope, fees and impact on owners and renters.
The Revere City Council voted to form a working group to prepare a proposed rental-registration ordinance that would require owners of rental properties to register units and submit to periodic safety inspections.
Councilor Angel Asencio made the motion to form the working group; Councilor Janzio seconded it and the motion was approved by the council. The group is to include staff from the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) and “other appropriate departments” to draft an ordinance the council can consider and send to committee.
Supporters said the proposal is intended to create a comprehensive inventory of rental units, identify unsafe housing conditions, and give the city enforcement tools. Councilor Asencio cited examples used by other cities — an annual registration fee in the $40–$50 range, a possible $15 registration-processing fee, and multi-year rotating inspections (one example noted was a five-year rotation used by neighboring cities) — and recommended that condominiums that are rented also be covered.
Several councilors raised concerns about costs and unintended effects. At least one councilor said the new fees could increase housing costs for tenants or place additional burdens on owners and asked that the working group study financial impacts. Other members emphasized the process: any ordinance developed by the working group must still be transmitted to the council’s committee and return to the council for final action, and the council would retain the final decision-making authority.
Councilors also discussed enforcement capacity. Asencio and others noted ISD currently lacks the inspection capacity to conduct citywide enforcement immediately, which is why they proposed the workgroup to design a phased approach and to recommend staffing and funding needs.
Next steps: the working group will draft an ordinance and present a plan to the council; if the council accepts the draft, it will refer the ordinance to committee for further review before a public hearing and final votes.