Rental Housing Registry and Inspection Program

Latest Update: On Janauary 24, 2024, the City Council held a public hearing on the proposed ordinance. They did not adopt the ordinance during the hearing, and have have instructed City Staff to return with more information at a later date. The topic is scheduled to be discussed again during the February 28, 2024 City Council meeting.

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Essex Junction’s City Council considered a Rental Housing Registry and Inspection program on January 24, 2024. The objectives of the program are to:

1. Protect the lives and safety of all residential renters,
2. Develop inventory of residential rental properties in Essex Junction, and
3. Improve opportunities to connect landlords to adequate resources for improving their properties.

Under the current proposed ordinance, all landlords would be required to register their rental units with the municipality and to pay a $120 per unit annual registration fee.

Both long-term rental units (monthly or annual leases) and short-term rental units (e.g., Airbnb or VRBO) would be subject to registration and inspection requirements unless they are exempt as an owner-occupied unit. Owner-occupied units where the owner rents out 1 or 2 rooms for compensation but otherwise shares common areas with the tenants, would be exempt from municipal registration and inspection requirements.

All rental units within the scope of this program would be subject to inspection by the City at least every five years, with more frequent inspections if necessary as determined based on risk factors such as the violation history of the unit, the age of the building, and complaints history. These inspections are intended to ensure that rental units in the City meet the Vermont Residential Rental Housing Health & Safety Code and other applicable rules.

The annual registration fee is intended to cover the program’s cost and should have no impact on the City’s General Fund or on property taxes.

To see the full proposed ordinance and fee structure, click here. 

If you have any questions or comments about the proposed program, please contact Christopher Yuen, Director of Community Development, at cyuen@ essexjunction.org.

January 24, 2024 Public Hearing

The City Council will held a public hearing on the proposed rental registry and inspection ordinance on January 24, 2024, at 6:30 pm, at 2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction. A summary of the pubinlc comments received as of February 20, 2024 is available below.

How will landlords be able to register?

Once the program is set up, landlords will be able to register and pay online or in person at the City Offices at 2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction.
 

Isn’t Rental Housing Health and Safety under the jurisdiction of the Vermont Division of Fire Safety?

On June 7, 2022, Governor Scott signed into law Act 181, transferring primary responsibility of Rental Housing Safety from local Health Officers to the Division of Fire Safety. However, towns and cities with Municipal Inspection Agreements with the Division of Fire Safety may carry out inspections on their own. The City of Essex Junction intends to enter a municipal inspection agreement for this purpose.
 

If the Vermont Division of Fire Safety already responds to Rental Housing Health and Safety complaints, why is the City proposing its own registration and inspection program?

This Vermont Division of Fire Safety program is complaint-driven and does not include registration requirements. The State’s program does not have the staff or resources to conduct regular, proactive inspections.

The City recognizes that the landlord-tenant relationship can sometimes be complicated. Some tenants may avoid voicing concerns over the fear of retaliation, and tenants may not have the knowledge or incentive to report certain perennial maintenance issues to their landlord that may put their property at risk over time. The City’s proposed program will not only respond to housing health and safety complaints but also provide regular, proactive inspections to address issues that may otherwise have been overlooked.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Under the proposed program, what happens if a unit is found to be out of compliance with applicable rules?
If an individual unit is cited for five (5) or less minor non life-threatening violations of the life safety and housing codes, the landlord will be given a reasonable period of time to take corrective action and to schedule a follow-up inspection if necessary. Re-inspections for non-compliance with 90 days would be free, but re-inspections for non-compliance after 90 days would require a $120 fee. Continued violations would be treated as civil violations subject to civil penalties and enforcement as provided in Chapter 9 of the Essex Junction Municipal Code.
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I rent out a bedroom within my housing unit that I live in myself. Would I be required to register and be inspected?
No, owner-occupied and partial short-term rental units with up to 2 rooms for rent are exempt from registration and inspection requirements as long as the owner lives in the same unit as their primary residence.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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How can a person file a complaint about the health and safety of a rental unit?
Until the City’s Rental Registry and Inspection Program is approved and running, please follow the State of Vermont’s Rental Housing Health and Safety Complaint Process outlined here.