Council deals with past due utilities in rental units
In an effort to collect past due utility bills, the Montgomery City Council suspended four rental licenses for properties in Montgomery.
The action came at a special council meeting on Monday. The council was originally presented with six properties whose combined outstanding delinquent amounts equaled $5,489. However after the landlords of two properties paid the past due amount and stated they were working with the county, the council approved the rental license suspension for four properties at: 204 1st Street S., 112 5th Street SE, 315 3rd Street SE, and 406 Oak Avenue SE.
City Administrator told the council the landlords were well-informed of the licensing program. In 2016 the city held an informational session to go over the process and went over common issues with rental properties, the main one being delinquent utility accounts. On June 30, 2017, landlords were sent letters about their past due accounts and were given ten days to make them current.
In addition to suspending the rental licenses, Heck said the city would also discontinue water service to the units, which would cause the unit to be declared uninhabitable requiring the landlords to remove the tenants or face additional sanctions.
Now that the four properties have had their licenses suspended, landlords will receive a letter and the requirements to get their license reinstated.
