Beginning today, Pittsburgh landlords have four months to register their rental properties with building inspectors.
Registration costs $12 per rental unit. Landlords must provide valid occupancy permits and fill out an application to register. Those who don't register by April 1 could face a fine of up to $1,000. Visit here for more information.
Also today, city police and building inspectors announced they will begin enforcing the city's "disruptive property" ordinance. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl signed the ordinance into law Jan. 9. It's designed to punish absentee landlords who don't monitor tenants or who allow chronic weed, litter and housing code violations.
Under the rules, Pittsburgh's public safety director can declare a home or apartment to be a "nuisance property" if police are summoned three times within a 60-day period to cite or arrest people for nuisance crimes including loud noise, public drunkenness and loitering. If the problems don't stop, police may file misdemeanor charges against the owners and occupants.
Both ordinances were created to fight properties that have chronic crime and blight problems.
