May 6th, 2016 by WCBC Radio
The City of Frostburg today issued the following release on rental housing…
Recently various entities have issued numbers claiming to be a reflection of the status of the rental housing and the City’s Rental Housing Program in the City of Frostburg. Unfortunately most of this data was not accurate or complete. Consequently the City has compiled the following data, verified from official files and records, regarding the state of rental housing and the City’s Rental Housing Program. This data is intended to clarify questions regarding the status of the City rental housing.
Total Number of Rental Properties – 766
Total Number of Rental Units – 1,874
Total Number of Rental Units “Registered” – 1,874 (100%), as of April 1, 2016
Total Revenue from Registrations – $72,500, as of March 31, 2016
Number of Units Inspected:
In 2015 – 191 Properties Containing 476 Units
In 2016 – In the first 6 months, 187 Properties containing 242 Units are scheduled for Inspection. Of those, 45 Properties, containing 82 Units have been completed. Remaining Properties to be inspected by June 30, 2016.
Complaints in 2015:
5 Cases Filed; Cases resolved with Properties in Compliance
Complaints in 2016:
143-145 W. College Avenue – Complaint Resolved; Property Vacant
118 A/1 W. Mechanic Street – Complaint Resolved; Property in Compliance
240 Center Street – Complaint Resolved; Property in Compliance
2 S. Broadway, Apt. 3 – Complaint Resolved; Property in Compliance
New Properties Added in 2015: 17
New Properties Added in 2016: 8
Many new properties coming into the City’s Rental Housing Program were previously in foreclosure and were remodeled and inspected to meet current codes.
The Frostburg Rental Housing Code requires each rental property to be registered annually and to be inspected once every three (3) years. The inspections are done by independent inspection companies who have the required State and City licenses, certifications and insurance. Any fraudulent inspections could result in an inspection company losing their licenses to operate in the State of Maryland and the City of Frostburg.
The Codes that apply to rental housing in the City of Frostburg are national codes and are designed to ensure safe living conditions at the time of the inspection. Actions by either the property owner or the tenants after the inspections are complete are beyond the ability of any government entity to prevent or correct. The fees for the initial inspection are collected by the City as part of the Annual Registration Fee. Inspectors charge the property owners directly for follow up inspections.
The Frostburg Rental Housing Program is administered by the City’s Department of Community Development.
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