The City is launching the rental housing registration process that requires landlords to register their rental properties and pay a $35 fee per unit by January 1st, 2016. The registration fees will pay for the new Housing Safety Office that was created in response to the tragic fire on Noyes Street that killed six in November 2014.
The three-alarm fire at this two-family residence on Noyes Street left 6 dead on Nov. 1, 2014. The fire led to the creation of a Housing Safety Office.
The registration form can be found at www.portlandmaine.gov/housingsafety and the fee can be paid online.
Landlords can reduce the registration fee through the use of the following approved discounts:
· $10 for a fully-sprinkled building (verification: testing/maintenance report and/or maintenance contract)
· $7.50 for a centrally-monitored fire alarm (verification: Fire Department logs and/or alarm contract)
· $5 for a HUD HQS inspection (verification: inspection report within last year)
· $10 for a HUD UPCS inspection (verification: inspection report within last year)
· $2.50 for a smoke-free policy (verification: copy of lease and spot checks)
The fee cannot drop below $15 per unit.
The City Council approved the creation of the Housing Safety Office on June 25th, 2015 following recommendations presented to them by the Fire/Code Inspections Task Force. In addition to the new Administrator and inspectors who will be cross-trained in code enforcement and fire safety, the Housing Safety Office is charged with implementing a risk-based prioritization process for inspections; conducting inspections; and overseeing and enforcing the revised landlord registration ordinance.
