Crime Free Training Mandatory for Landlords
Facing t
he threat of $750 per day fines, landlords in Pekin, Illinois must now undergo mandatory crime training in order to stay in business.
The new crime ordinance is part of the city’s latest nuisance abatement program.
It provides that all landlords or their property managers must attend a seminar to be conducted by the local police before obtaining a landlord license, a condition to offering rental housing.
At the seminar, the landlord or manager will receive a sample Crime Free Lease Addendum that must be signed by each new tenant.
This sample addendum provides that a tenant can be evicted if the they, any member of their household, or a guest commits any crime on the property. There is no stated exception made for cases where the tenant is a victim of the crime.
Landlords are expected to evict problem tenants, and may be fined each day the property is in violation. At the eviction hearing, the landlord must prove by a preponderance of the evidence — the typical standard in a civil case — that the tenant or a related party committed a crime on the property.
The ordinance also provides that the property will be deemed a nuisance if police are called an “unreasonable” number of times as compared to other properties of the same character.
The provisions anticipate a landlord can evict for any crime. Examples of crimes provided by officials include child pornography and gambling. The language also provides that a landlord has “permitted” an offense to occur by failure to act.
Landlords whose properties violate the ordinance may be ordered to repeat the seminar training.
American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services for all your property management needs. Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.
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