City to Temporarily Waive Rental Registration Late Fees

My administration has been working tirelessly to develop a plan to revitalize not only our business district but our neighborhoods as well. As such, it is our intent to work with landlords and tenants to ensure that our city has the best possible residential rental market and that our community can proudly invite new residents to come work, play and live in our City.

The boom in the local housing market has been very encouraging, as more and more individuals seek to move to communities with affordable housing. This has become known as the Zoom Town phenomenon. Another area the City hopes will be impacted by this craze is the residential rental market. The City is hoping that local landlords see a flood of applicants for their properties as the extended economic downturn caused by the pandemic took a major toll on many of them. And as many of them understood the inability of tenants to pay to sustain their monthly housing, they too suffered right along with their tenants nonetheless, as the cost of owning these properties continued to prevail.

In order to own rental property within the city limits, local landlords are required to register their property with the City and adhere to the ordinances and fees that govern the rental market. These ordinances are designed to allow the City to regulate the rental market and ensure that properties meet or exceed the basic health and safety standards for habitability. The City’s Code Department and third-party contractor Building Inspection Underwriters of Pennsylvania (BIU) work with landlords to enable them to meet these standards prior to issuing an Occupancy Permit for any given property. The nominal fees for this entire process enable the City to offer these services for both our landlords and tenants alike.

As stated, the past 14 months have taken a toll on the residential rental market and as such the City is extending the annual Rental Registration Due Date to June 15th 30, 2021. All landlords that register their residential rental properties by this new registration deadline will have their 2021 monthly late fee waived.

If you have any questions or need further information please contact the Code Department @ (724)656-3500 x or via our new email address dedicated to housing and rental properties @ housing@newcastlepa.org

With Regard,

Chris Frye
Mayor

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