15th Ward Alderwoman Jennifer Florida has introduced legislation in the City of St. Louis to require rental property owners to register their contact information with the city. See the article from the post dispatch here.

15th Ward Alderwoman Jennifer Florida

“Two members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen plan Friday to introduce a bill that would create a registry of all rental properties in the city, according to the Board agenda.

Landlords would be required to register their buildings with the city once a year, and supply names and contact information for both the owner and, if the owner does not live in the area, a local agent living in the city, St. Louis County, St. Charles or Jefferson Counties. Violations would carry a fine of $150 to $500.

The purpose, according to the bill (available here), is to help city agencies track down property owners for maintenance, safety and other issues at their buildings. There are nearly 70,000 rental units in St. Louis, according to a 2007 Census estimate, about half of all properties in the city.

Similar measures exist in other places, including Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, NC, and the state of Arizona. It comes a week after another bill introduced at the Board of Aldermen to create a registry of vacant buildings in the city.”