Chester City Council on April 26 unanimously passed ordinances relating to housing in the city. Ordinance No. 4, enacting new Article 1714, “Licensing Residential Rental Units,” will expand the application of rental regulations to single-family units in the city. The ordinance will require landlords to have a responsible agent living within Delaware County and contains language relating to the behavior of tenants. Ordinance No. 5, enacting new article 1715, “Pre-sale Inspection of Residential Properties and Units,” makes changes to the current use and occupancy requirements. Ordinance No. 6, enacting new Article 1716, “Lead Poisoning Prevention and Lead Hazard Control,” establishes lead-free and lead-safe standards. Ordinance No. 7 enacts Article 1746, “Defaulted Vacant and Abandoned Real Property,” which requires the registration, inspection, maintenance and security of certain abandoned or foreclosed properties in the city. Draft versions of the ordinances can be found in the April 24 city council meeting packet. The Suburban Realtors Alliance sent commentary relating to concerns about Ordinances No. 4 and 5 and will work with the council on amendments to bring the legislation into compliance with Act 133 of 2016. 

Source: Chester City; 4/23/2023