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• Item No. - Staff Report No. 91-6079 Meeting Date: May 5, 1997 • Type of Business: Work Session WK• Work Session;PH:Public Hearing; CA:Consent Agenda;CB:Council Business City of Mounds View Staff Report To: Mayor and City Council From: Pamela Sheldon, Community Development Director Item Title/Subject: Discussion of Revisions to Housing Code Date of Report: May 2, 1997 Summary: The City of Mounds View has had a Housing Code in effect for several years. Our work with the Housing Code has led to several questions where we need City Council direction. These questions are related to whether all multiple family residential units, or only renter occupied multiple family residential units are to be registered and inspected. We also need to know how to handle duplexes or fourplexes which are joined together and occupied as a single"owner"unit. Discussion: The Housing Code defines"multiple dwelling" as a building or portion thereof containing two (2) or more dwelling units (Section 1005.03.) According to this definition, duplexes, condominiums, • townhouses, and apartments would be included. Section 1005.12 Subd. 1 states"no person shall allow to be occupied or let to another for occupancy units in a multiple dwelling for which a certificate of registration has not been provided by the Building Inspection Department." A registration fee is required. Section 1005.14 Subd. 2 states"The enforcement officer shall make eery effort to inspect the premises of all multiple dwelling buildings on an annual basis to insure compliance with this Chapter." Based on these code provisions, we would register and inspect all duplexes, condominiums, townhouses, and apartments, whether they were owner-occupied or renter-occupied. The City's practice, however, has been to only register and inspect renter-occupied units. For example, we require owners of duplexes to register both units (pay two fees), but in buildings where the owner lives on one side and a renter lives on the other side, we only inspect the renter-occupied side. Duplex owners have protested having to register both units. Silver Lake Woods is another example. We do not register or inspect these units, because they are owner-occupied, even though they fit the definition of multiple dwelling. Finally, we have had some unusual situations arise. We have had one individual purchase a duplex, leave the two units intact including the two kitchens, cut a door between the two units and use it as a single, owner-occupied, dwelling unit. We also have an extended family which has purchased a fourplex, is using the four units as separate living units, but the entire building is occupied by the owners. Our fee schedule requires payment of$5.00 per unit, with a minimum of$30.00 per building. Therefore a a duplex or fourplex pays, in effect, a flat fee of$30.00.