NORWICH – Long anticipated changes to the rental registry were a topic of debate when the Norwich City Council met Tuesday for a public hearing and adoption of a resolution they say will improve standards of apartments and rented homes.

In December, the city proposed changes to the agreement between the city and landlords who rent out property as a way to ensure safe and better quality homes for residents. Prior to Tuesday’s resolution to amend the registry, the agreement was optional and allowed a city inspection of a residence prior to new tenants, although state law mandates inspection of a rented, three-unit property once every three years.

Changes to the agreement mandate that all rental units must now be inspected upon a change of tenants, at a $25 per inspection fee to be paid by the landlord, and landlords are required to notify the city of a change of tenants. According to Codes Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence, these regular inspections would benefit tenants by ensuring decent livable quarters and keeping landlords involved while also proving advantageous for landlords who will have documentation that a unit was in good condition at the time of inspection.

The city must also inspect buildings with three or more apartments once every three years to adhere to New York law.

While most favored the council’s proposal, one spoke out against it during the public hearing. Rich Barnes, a 20-year veteran landlord in the city, argued that “code violations are caused by the negligence of tenants, not the landlords.” A $25 inspection fee would “be another burden on landlords” and it is just another way of collecting revenue for the city, he said.