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Council plans unsightly premises bylaw

Council plans a bylaw to require landlords and residents to maintain a standard of cleanliness with rental housing in the District.

Council plans a bylaw to require residents to maintain a standard of cleanliness with rental housing in the District.

In a recommendation to council, Director of Engineering John Guenther, says this bylaw adds weight to the requirement for residents to reduce serious unsanitary and unsafe conditions in homes.

It prescribes remedies and deals with the range of issues that could arise, he said.

The bylaw includes rental properties, and requires structural integrity, and well-maintained and weather tight buildings.

It requires all plumbing to be free of leaks and run enough water to sinks, showers and toilets.

Heat systems must be enough to maintain 20 degrees Celsius in each room.

"No machinery, boats, vehicles, trailers or parts of them that are in a wrecked, discarded, dismantled, inoperative or abandoned condition, or junk or rubbish or discarded furniture shall be kept or allowed to remain in a parking garage or parking area," the bylaw says.

Repeated nuisances, with police responding to three or more calls in a year,   could lead to fees for the property owner.

With written warnings to residents after three calls, the District could fine $195 per nuisance call to police, $65 per call to District staff plus 10 percent of total fees for administration.

Any nuisance that require public works labour, equipment or subcontractors would be charged to the offender.

Pest control requires all homes or units to be kept free of mice, rats, bed bugs, cockroaches and other vermin.

It also requires garbage storage to be provided at all homes and units and trash to be neatly stored in proper bins or dumpsters.

Bylaw violations could lead to fines up to $10,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment.

Offenders are also subject to fines detailed in Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw.