The main discussion points at Friday’s Landlord/Tenant Sub-Committee were the Landlord Tenants handbook, the role and relationship of the sub-committee to the Landlord Association and the examination of other city ordinances relevant to the sub-committee.

The sub-committee is part of the Safe and Quality Housing Task Force. Land owners and DeKalb aldermen met Friday at the Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity House.

The sub-committee discussed how to raise tenant awareness of the existence of the Landlord Tenants handbook.

“More effort is needed to make tenants aware of the handbook,” said Herb Rubin, professor emeritus of Sociology at NIU.

Jim Mason, owner of Mason Properties, said he felt it was unfeasible to make tenants read the handbook and tenants only look at the handbook when there is a problem.

“How do people find the handbook?” Mason said. “They call the city and then they find the handbook.”

First Ward Alderman David Jacobson said he would like to see a separate handbook for landlords containing information and resources that landlords can use to resolve issues regarding their properties.

Jacobson said he felt that the Landlord Tenant handbook tends to favor tenants over landlords.

The committee passed a motion to make a notice of the existence and location of the Landlord Tenants handbook available to tenants upon the signing of a lease agreement.

Also discussed was a Chronic Nuisance Property Abatement ordinance that was provided to the sub-committee. Under the ordinance, a property that receives three nuisance violations within a 12-month period could be classified as a Chronic Nuisance Property. The ordinance would also allow the city to close a property defined as a Chronic Nuisance from all occupancy for a period of up to one year.

Property owners could also be fined up to $1 million for each violation.

Jacobson said the ordinance would essentially force landlords to be policemen and would give enormous fining power to the city.

Rubin said during discussion that the ordinance was originally introduced three or four years ago but never went anywhere.

“At this point, I’m unsure as to whether this ordinance was provided just as information or if staff is looking to have it considered again,” Jacobson said. “I don’t personally feel this ordinance would be an effective solution, and its passage would be to great detriment of both landlords and tenants alike.”

The next meeting for the Landlord/Tenant Sub-Committee has been set for May 3.