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Started in October 2005, the goal of Ogden City’s Good Landlord Program is to address aspects of property management that may encourage the elimination of code violations and public nuisances while controlling and preventing illegal activity on rental properties that affect the quality of life within our neighborhoods.
The program provides financial incentives to landlords who actively implement the objectives of the landlord training course, keep their properties free of criminal activity, and maintain their properties free of code violations. It also authorizes a discount toward disproportionate impact fees assessed against rental dwellings under the City’s business licensing regulations. Disproportionate impact fees are assessed based on the amount of police and fire services provided to rental dwellings; the discount is offered to landlords who help the City reduce the occurrences for such services required on rental properties.
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- Complete the landlord training program
- Proper screening of tenants: applications,
background checks, and credit checks
- Maintain properties free of criminal activity,
code violations, and any public nuisance
- Be current on city business fees and licenses
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- Profitable property ventures
- Potentially enhanced property values
- Better maintained and operated properties
- Decreased crime
- Business license fee reduced 90%
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Landlords must complete an eight-hour training course through the program that teaches them to maximize the use of rental applications, screen tenants through background checks and credit checks, identify criminal activity, observe zoning laws, avoid discrimination, and comply with the Fair Housing Act. Over 1,300 landlords have already received the training. Once landlords complete the initial training, a four-hour refresher course is required every other year.
The Good Landlord Program builds a better rapport with tenants, apartment owners, apartment associations, city personnel, police, and realtors. This partnership approach has been fundamental to the program’s overall success.
Since its induction, approximately 65% of Ogden rental units have qualified for the Good Landlord incentive, which means the property owners qualified for a 90% discount on their annual business license fees. In its first year of the program, landlords who diligently followed the guidelines also saw a reduction in crime at their properties—in fact, 11.6% reduction in crime, according to reports.
The Good Landlord program is building more awareness that prevention really does reduce, and may even eliminate, crime and unprofitable ventures associated with apartment ownership. Participating in the program proves to enhance property values by decreasing not only crime but also poorly maintained and improperly operated rental properties.
With happier tenants, safer neighborhoods, and more profitable landlords, all of us enjoy a better community.
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