Rental fee charges in Lakewood?

[d drickhamer]

For various reasons I rent out a single-family house in South Euclid, which doesn't make sense in the current market to sell. In a down market with downward pressure on rental rates, the city of South Euclid just doubled their rental fee charge from $100/year to $200/year per unit. This irks me of course.

Does any one know if Lakewood charges such fees? I can't find anything about such charges on the city website. Total rental units in Lakewood are around 14,000 according to a number I found on the web (52.5% of 28,000 housing units are reportedly non-owner occupied). Charging just $100/unit would raise $1.4 million that could be put to good use enforcing city codes.

[Jim DeVito]

d, Welcome,

I am not sure weather or not Lakewood charges such a fee. I am interested however as to what part of South Euclid you rent in. My family and I grew up in South Euclid. I recently went back there just for old time sake and was appalled at the current stat of the city development. We lived at the bottom of a hill next to a medical center. I remember growing up in a nice clean, safe environment right behind a church. We had a fair amount of land as well as a sizable plot of wooded area next to the property we rented. It pained me to see that they have clear cut and leveled the wooded area and most of my old back yard to build what I consider to be the ugliest "welcome to my garage" development I have ever seen.

Anyway just wondering as to your thoughts on the neighborhood. I also hope someone here may be able to answer your question.

[Jim O'Bryan]

For various reasons I rent out a single-family house in South Euclid, which doesn't make sense in the current market to sell. In a down market with downward pressure on rental rates, the city of South Euclid just doubled their rental fee charge from $100/year to $200/year per unit. This irks me of course.

Lakewood does charge a fee and I believe that it went from $25 to $100 a year.

At one point some of us had looked at raising it to $1,000 a year, and using that money for keeping housing stock strong and investing heavily in the police department. Part of the safe and clean motto.

.

[Bill Call]

. In a down market with downward pressure on rental rates, the city of South Euclid just doubled their rental fee charge from $100/year to $200/year per unit. This irks me of course.

Does any one know if Lakewood charges such fees? ....number I found on the web (52.5% of 28,000 housing units are reportedly non-owner occupied). Charging just $100/unit would raise $1.4 million that could be put to good use enforcing city codes.

I think Lakewood charges $75 for each rental unit for a two family ($150 per year). I don't know what the charge is for apartments.

The fee should be $500 for each unit ($1,000) per year. Lakewood residents who own the property and pay the fee would be entitled to a 100% refundable credit on their personal income tax returns.

Non residents who pay the fee would get a 100% credit on any income taxes they pay on the income generated by the property. You would be surprised at how many people own rental property in Lakewood and never make a dime in income!!

[d drickhamer]

After extensive searching for what the "housing licensing" fee actually is on the city websites, I still couldn't find anything. I wonder how well it's enforced. Perhaps it's a line on the budget since it would really add up if it was enforced.

Jim DeVito, the house is on the western border, backyard leads into one of the middle school athletic fields in Lyndhurst so it's actually a great location. Still very nice, clean and safe. I grew up in Avon Lake and that community has certainly changed with McMansion development after McMansion development eating up the woods and farms.

As an aside, the county library on Mayfield is a great building. As the former Telling mansion it would have been something to live in. But it is awful when it comes to a functioning library. It has barely any books or other resources, the hours aren't aligned with resident needs, probably because its run by county bureaucrats, and it has few special programs. Our library is really incredible when it comes to serving the community.

[Stephen Eisel]

http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewt ... c&start=30

Do we make all renters register with the city? If not, could the city force renters to register with the city and charge them a $100 registration fee? The city could make it a yearly thing. Or the city could make the landlord do it.