5.13.100 Rental unit registration.
(1) On or before July 1, 2024, and by July 1st of each subsequent year, a landlord must register with the department each rental unit that is rented or available for rent for a term exceeding 30 consecutive days by filing a rental registration in a form approved by the department. After initial rental unit registration, a landlord shall notify the department and update the rental registration within 30 days of the start of a new tenancy or any subsequent change in tenancy or ownership.
(2) Registration must include, but is not limited to, the following information:
(a) Property information, including address, year built and certificate of occupancy date.
(b) Rent for each rental unit in the rental property at the time of registration and the date and amount of the last rent increase.
(c) Ownership information for the rental property.
(d) The number of total rental units in the rental property.
(e) The number of bedrooms and bathrooms for each rental unit.
(f) Tenant information, including names and move-in dates.
(g) A description of housing services.
(h) Any additional information reasonably required by the department to implement this chapter.
(3) Registration Fee. A landlord must pay an annual registration fee for each rental unit as established by resolution of the city council. Such fees are intended to recover the city’s reasonable costs to implement, administer and enforce its rent stabilization and tenant eviction protection regulations as set forth in this chapter and Chapter 5.14 CMC. The registration fee established by this subsection shall be waived for any rental unit in a residential real property containing four or fewer dwelling units in which the owner occupies one of the units as the owner’s principal place of residence, so long as the owner continues in occupancy. For purposes of this subsection:
(a) The term “owner” means a natural person who owns at least a 25 percent ownership interest in the residential real property.
(b) A waiver under this subsection shall expire by operation of law when the owner ceases to reside on the property as their principal place of residence.
(4) Registration Fee Pass-Through. A landlord may recover 50 percent of a registration fee from the tenant. A landlord may only collect one annual registration fee pass-through cost at a time and must also meet the following requirements to pass through this registration fee:
(a) Timely and accurately submits an annual registration for each rental unit in the rental property;
(b) Lists the registration fee pass-through cost as a separate line item on the monthly obligation(s) statement;
(c) Provides tenant with 30 days’ notice before collecting any registration fee pass-through cost; and
(d) A tenant’s payment to the landlord for the registration fee pass-through cost is paid in 12 equal, monthly installments, unless otherwise agreed to by the tenant. (Ord. 736 § 2 (Exh. A), 2023).