Mayor Announces New Housing Inspection Fees

Mayor Vaughn D. Spencer and Director of Community Development Lenin Agudo held a news conference today to announce the new housing inspection fees which were recently approved by City Council. The initial housing inspection fee, which in the past was a $505 dollar fee and based on an average of 3.75 inspections, has been lowered to $140 for a single family rental and $165 for a two-unit rental property. This new fee schedule is for each inspection, not for any number of needed inspections combined. Any additional inspections that are necessary will cost the same as the initial inspection.

 

“We’re trying to work with our property owners to receive benefits and help from the city,” said Mayor Spencer. “We’ve restructured the inspection fee schedule to make it a fairer schedule that will reward good landlords who do the right thing. For those who are complying, if we need to come out and re-inspect, within three days, we won’t charge you. If you don’t comply, we’re going to come after you and the penalties will be stiff.”

 

The cost for an additional inspection, if necessary, for a single family rental will be $140 within a 120 day period. After that, a non-compliance penalty of $350 will be charged with an extension inspection fee of $200. A second non-compliance penalty and extension fee will cost $1,000, while a third will bring an additional $2,000 fine and fee. For four and above non-compliance complaints, an additional $1,000 plus all prior penalties and fees will be charged. A letter detailing the new inspection fee and penalty schedules will be mailed to property owners scheduled for inspections in 2013 and beyond. The new fee and penalty schedule will begin on January 1st, and the inspections will be in a three-year cycle.

 

Community Development Director Lenin Agudo also announced that a voucher notice will be sent to any eligible property owner who had their property inspected in 2012 and paid the old fee. “Their next inspection will be free,” said Agudo. “We want to be fair and show property owners that we want them to continue to invest in Reading.”

 

Contact: Michael Dee

Media Consultant

City of Reading

(610) 655 - 6234

 

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