Will Landlords need to get Business Licenses in Lewiston?

Some landlords look at housing rental as a miraculous money tree that doesn’t require sun or water for nourishment. They expect tenants to pay the rent on time each month, but if something goes wrong in the apartment that requires an input of cash by the landlord, every excuse in the book will be played out before the landlord agrees to pay. Since most of the landlords operate under the shade of LLC’s and corporations, city officials don’t know who to penalize for housing building infractions.

With the problem of run-down rental buildings escalating, council members are looking for ways to identify anonymous landlords. Adilah Muhammad of the Downtown Neighborhood Task Force suggested requiring a Lewiston business license from local landlords. With a listing of landlords at hand, city officials can then ensure that landlords make the necessary repairs to apartments rented out.

Landlords who don’t comply with city regulations for the conditions of their buildings would be penalized by losing city subsidies. Further failure to abide by city rules could result in fines.

The question of how much to charge for the landlords business license was raised - with City Councilor Stephen Morgan concerned over excessive business license fees. Sun Journal quotes Morgan having said, "Let's keep following the process here, logically. At some point, do we make it so expensive that a landlord is not going to be able to keep up the building? And then, they just give us the keys and walk away. That's what we don't want to happen."

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