Those who own a single-family home in the Village of Plainfield could be under scrutiny if they decide to rent it.
Lonnie Spires of the village’s Building Department at Monday’s committee of the whole workshop asked Plainfield trustees to consider a rental regulation ordinance.
“In recent years, there has been an increase in property ownership by which numbers of single-family homes and multi-family go from owner occupancy to absentee ownership and rental occupancy,” said Spires. “The use of a rental regulation ordinance would include a registry, licensing program, crime free housing and other possible options.”
If an ordinance is established, the program, according to Spires, would be under the direction of Building and Code Compliance departments with assistance from Plainfield police, administrative and management services, fire district and planning departments.
Hotels and motels, short-term rentals, nursing and retirement homes and group homes such as those housing developmentally or physically disabled individuals would be exempt if the ordinance is adopted at a later date.
Mayor John Argoudelis said more work needs to be done when it comes to what constitutes a family.
“We have blended families, and we want to make sure we are not excluding anybody,” said Argoudelis. “This (proposed ordinance) is for the protection of renters, too. Another important aspect of this is to make sure landlords are renting homes safely.”
But village trustee Cally Larson said she views the proposed ordinance as “intrusive.”
“I do have a problem with the definition of family because I worry about foster care kids,” said Larson. “If the village goes this route (with a registry), it should be only voluntary. To mandate it has me drastically concerned.”
The proposed ordinance defines a family as two or more persons related to each other by blood, marriage, or legal adoption living together as a single housekeeping unit, or a group of no more than four persons who need not to be related by blood, marriage or legal adoption living together as a single housekeeping unit and occupying a single-dwelling unit.”
Spires said rental properties not well managed could have a destabilizing impact on surrounding homes. For example, he said “a homeowner actually rented every room of his house to different families and another person rented his downtown Plainfield home to a renter who constructed a meth lab.”
What Plainfield is considering is not a new concept in Will County. In January of this year, the City of Joliet passed an amendment to the Systematic Rental Inspection Program. The ordinance specifies that even if no rent is paid or the unit is occupied by a relative, it is subject to the rental program.
The new amendment requires people to register the rental property with the City of Joliet and obtain a license to operate the home at a fee of $100. Bolingbrook also has a similar rental registry program.
