Landlords, property managers and housing stakeholders urged the East Lansing City Council on Dec. 9 to postpone action on a broad rewrite of the city's rental licensing code, arguing the current draft contains major substantive changes that require more review.

Multiple speakers — including Matt Hagen of Hagen Realty, Nancy Marr of Prime Housing Group and Jeff Hudgins of Hudgins Realty — said they were told the revisions would be technical cleanup but instead received a 174‑page document with provisions they described as ambiguous or burdensome for property owners. Hudgins said the earlier rental-code effort (ordinance 900 from the 1990s) involved broad stakeholder engagement and called for a similar collaborative process now.

Council member Meadows moved to defer consideration of ordinance 15-49 and related chapter changes (moving rental licensing into a proposed new Chapter 7 and amending Chapter 6) to the council’s late‑January business meeting. Council also agreed to schedule a January discussion-only session to allow landlords and other stakeholders to review the proposed language and ask questions of staff and the city attorney.

City manager Robert Bellman said staff will publish both the current and proposed versions on the city website, notify landlords and invite comments. The deferral passed unanimously.

Council members emphasized that the pause is intended to give affected parties time to digest the scope of revisions and to allow staff to work with landlords, the housing commission and other stakeholders before any vote. The council left open the option to hold a separate discussion meeting in January to permit detailed Q&A with the city attorney and planning staff.

The deferral allows time for further edits and does not represent a final decision on the substance of the rewrite. When the item returns, the council will consider recommended changes, any new language proposed by stakeholders, and whether modifications to grandfathering, occupancy and safety provisions are needed.