STONE HARBOR — Renters here will soon be required to gain a renter’s licenses, involving a fire inspection, in order to legally rent their units.

Councilman Tom Cope, chairman of Public Safety Committee, said Stone Harbor is the only local municipality in the county that does not inspect rental units.

Borough Council Sept. 15 introduced a nine-page ordinance outlining provisions for rental unit registration and allowing fire inspection fees to be established by annual resolution.

Rental property owners will need to register their units and have them inspected annually.

The program will be in place for the 2010 rental season. The borough will also use the inspections to monitor and enforce land use code.

If a property is subject of a zoning variance or site plan approval, the annual inspection will also monitor compliance with conditions of the variance or site plan approval.

Plainly put, if a rental unit fails inspection, it cannot be occupied until it passes. If it’s already occupied at the time of inspection, then the owner has 30 days from that time to make repairs or corrections. An owner of a rental may get another five days to make repairs after re-inspection within the 30-day period.

Every day the violation continues outside of the approved time period will constitute a separate offense.

Cope said the program is structured similar to Avalon’s during council discussion Aug. 18.

He said there would be no new full-time employee and the current fire official and administrative staff could be assisted by part-time employees as needed.

Cope said fire inspection fees are intended to keep the inspection process revenue neutral.

Hotels and multiple dwellings will be inspected to determine compliance with zoning code and the Uniform Fire Safety Act. Others will be inspected under the New Jersey Housing Code.

A valid Certificate of Inspection from the Department of Community Affairs will also satisfy requirements. Condo units will be considered separate rentals.

The resolution states that the program “provides an additional mechanism for the borough to minimize disturbances, damage and public expense from occasionally unruly tenants at such rental properties.”

Borough Council will have final vote on the ordinance during its Oct. 6 meeting.

Contact Truluck at (609) 886-8600 ext. 24 or at: ltruluck@cmcherald.com.