The City Council will hold a public hearing to discuss the proposed Rental Registry and Inspection Program. The hearing will be held in person and online via Zoom on January 24, 2024, at 6:30 pm at 2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction.
The objectives of the Rental Registry and Inspection Program are to protect the adequate life and safety of all residential renters, develop an inventory of residential rental properties in Essex Junction, and improve opportunities to connect landlords to adequate resources for improving their properties.
Under the 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 and short-term rental units would be subject to registration and inspection requirements, except for owner-occupied units where the owner rents out 1 or 2 rooms for compensation but otherwise shares common areas with the tenants.
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 proposed annual registration fee is intended to cover the program’s cost and should have no impact on the City’s General Fund or property taxes.
For more information on the proposed ordinance and to review the draft ordinance, please visit the Rental Registry webpage. If you have any questions or comments about the program, contact Christopher Yuen, Director of Community Development, at cyuen@essexjunction.org.