Ogden pushing rental-property owners to update, pay for business licenses

Ogden city is hoping a new push will encourage local rental-property owners to bring their business licenses into compliance.

City officials said that a recent audit of residential dwelling records shows that about 3,000 properties are currently licensed as rentals, but another 3,000 dwellings may be unlicensed.

"We've been able to determine where we think apartment rentals are and compared it to our business-license list," said Mark Johnson, Ogden city management services director.

Johnson said the city began sending out letters Wednesday to noncompliant property owners asking them to renew their business licenses immediately. Any accrued penalties will be waived for owners who comply within a 15-day grace period.

Rental properties in Ogden are required to be licensed as a business. He added the campaign is part of an ongoing effort to identify illegal rental properties within the city.

Some landlords might be "somewhat innocent" because they don't know of the requirement, he said, but some of the noncompliant landlords are people who "know better" and are trying to avoid paying the fees.

Annual business-license fees for rental-property owners are $156 for a single-family rental dwelling, $140 for a duplex, and $83 per building for three or more units plus $82 per unit.

The problems began about three years ago when the city went to a new fee structure that created some confusion among owners of single-family and larger multifamily properties, said Johnson.

In addition to getting landlords to comply with the business-license regulations, Johnson said the city is also working to improve standards for rental properties.

In May 2007, the Utah Apartment Association reported that the good landlord program helped reduce crime at Ogden rental properties by 12 percent.

Johnson said the city offers financial incentives for property owners who qualify for the program, such as 90 percent discounts on their business-license renewal fees.

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