On September 6, 2016, the City Council passed Ordinance No. 18637 enacting a new Article 15, Rental Ready Program, to Chapter 4 of the City Code, pertaining to business licensing and inspection requirements for rental properties. The goals of the program are to protect the health, safety and welfare of residents, maintain attractive and desirable neighborhoods, and ensure minimum standards for the interior of residential buildings.
On October 9, 2023, the City presented information on the enforcement of unlicensed landlords. In recent years, a large number of rental properties have been transferred to new owners and these new owners have not registered the rental units with the City in accordance with the Rental Ready Program.
This amendment would add the requirement that a landlord of a rental dwelling must have a valid business license before utility service would be provided to that rental dwelling. In addition, if the landlord operates as a Limited Liability Company (LLC), said business will be required to file with the City a valid LLC registration in accordance with RSMo 347.048 prior to a customer seeking utility service to a rental dwelling. This LLC registration lists the name and street address of at least one natural person who has management control and responsibility for the property owned, leased or rented by the LLC.
Staff believes the proposed amendment will better serve our community, help gain compliance with the Rental Ready Program requirement and to ensure the goals of the Rental Ready Program are achieved.