MOTEL INSPECTION
PROGRAM
Reno City Council Update, June 2018
Housing Initiatives
Proposed Motel Inspection Program
Program Purpose
• Preserve existing
affordable housing
units while ensuring
they are safe and
properly maintained
• Mitigate blight within
the city
• Support efforts to
revitalize downtown
Proposed Motel Inspection Program
As Discussed During Community Outreach:
Motel – Non-Transient Motel – Transient
• Annual, proactive inspection of • Will pay transient lodging tax
every unit and the exterior (RSCVA)
• Crime Prevention Through • Meet requirements of hotels
Environmental Design (CPTED) today
review from Motel Inspection
Team
• Owners and property managers
to attend Crime Free Training
• Require weekly clean linens
• Onsite manager available 24hrs
• Work card for managers
• Approximately $100 license fee/
per unit
Additional New Requirement Considerations
Discussed During Community Outreach:
–Kitchens in each room; or
–Designating common kitchens to serve a
designated number of rooms/residents
(e.g., Convert a room into a common kitchen
for every 10 rooms)
–Laundry facilities
(e.g., Convert a room into a laundry facility)
Community Outreach
Meetings and Presentations
• Dec 5, 2017
- Meeting with Awaken staff
• Dec 20, 2017
- Meeting with motel owners, representative, and CM Jardon
• Jan 3, 2018
- Meeting with motel tenants and ACTIONN
• Jan 9, 2018 & Jan 25, 2018
- Meeting with motel owners, representative, and staff at Old Town Mall
•Jan 10, 2018
- Radio interview with motel owners representative regarding proposed program
• Jan 11, 2018
- First ever training for motel owners and managers
•Feb 22, 2018
- Presentation before Washoe County Health District
•Feb 28, 2018
- Meeting with RSCVA auditors
•Mar 7, 2018
- Presentation before Truckee Meadows Healthy Communities
- Meeting with Reno Justice Court judges
Community Outreach
Public Workshops
• Gathered feedback on concept
of proposed program and
potential rules of the ordinance
at community workshops
- Feb. 6
- Feb. 12
- Feb. 22
• Average attendance: 40 – 50
• Attendees could also provide
written or emailed comments
Commonly expressed concerns
Tenants:
• Ordinance might make motel owners raise rents causing homelessness
• Concerns motel managers are “predators” with criminal behavior
• Seniors require assistance
• Criminal behavior in motels
• A need for the ordinance so tenants don’t have to complain
• Concerns with retaliation from complaining
• Tenants need education on tenant’s rights
• Need to mandate deadbolts on doors
• Bed bugs and mold are not dealt with by motel managers
• Concerns with eviction process
• Over occupancy in rooms
• Fear motels are unsafe, sometimes violent, and plagued with theft
Commonly expressed concerns
Motel Owners:
• Kitchen requirements of any kind will raise risks for the property and insurance
• The proposed $100 per room license fee is too expensive
• The costs of any type of kitchens are too high
• The City only goes after owners and not tenants creating problems
• City needs to address apartments doubling their rents
• Want to see more assistance from the police department
• Inspection of every room is not really necessary (random inspections)
• Code Enforcement inspections are a slippery slope (Fire, Building, WCSD?)
• No help with evicting bad tenants
• City needs to issue citations to tenants
• Ordinance will increase homelessness as tenants can’t afford even a $1 increase
• Will owners still have option to rent nightly and/or extended periods?
• Will owners receive citations from inspection failures?
• What will the city be inspecting for and can we know in advance to avoid surprise
costs?
Recommended Motel Inspection Program
Ordinance Recommendations after Community Outreach
Motel – Non-Transient Motel – Transient
• Annual, proactive inspection of every unit and the • Will pay transient occupancy
exterior
tax (TOT)
• Crime Prevention Through Environmental
• Meet requirements of hotels
Design (CPTED) review from Motel Inspection
Team today
• Owners and property managers to attend Crime
Free Training
• Require weekly clean linens/Approximately washing
machines
• Onsite manager available 24hrs
• Work card for managers*
• Approximately $50 license fee/per unit (.96c per
week)
• Citations shall not be issued for initial failures of
inspections
• Allow for hybrid rentals (nightly and extended stay)
Recommended Motel Inspection Program
Additional Efforts (Outside of Ordinance)
• Develop process to work with judges for evictions
• Create procedure to allow citations against tenants, where appropriate
(public nuisance)
• Proposed quarterly motel owner hosted meetings with Motel Inspection
Team (RPD) and Code Enforcement Manager (CEM)
• Update informational materials & create new w/tenant rights (Blight Fund)
• Develop stronger working relationships to assist motel owners
• Develop proposed inspection checklist to share with motel owners for
predictability/consistency
Program Costs and Revenue
Estimated Program Cost
Dedicated City Resources: Approximate Costs:
2 inspectors salaries & benefits $202,900.00
1 police officer salary & benefits $125.000.00
Customary 25% admin overhead $81,975.00
Total $409,875.00
Estimated Program Revenue
Proposed License Fee: Approximate Revenue
$50 per unit x 3000 units $150,000.00
Fee Comparison
Motel – Non-Transient Motel - Transient
$50 per non-transient unit (annual) 13% transient lodging tax (RSCVA)
Fee
Estimated weekly fee $0.96 per room per week $19.50 per room per week
(for $150 weekly rental rate)
Estimated annual fee $50 per room per year $1,014 per room per year
(for $150 weekly rental rate)
Draft Inspection List (IPMC)
• Smoke detectors
• Deadbolts
• Signs of infestation (bedbugs; roaches; rodents)
• Heat & hot water (winter inspection)
• Proper sealant of window and doors (weather-strip;
open/close; insect screens, etc.)
• Bathroom – ventilation, operational fixtures (toilet, sink)
• Bathroom proper sealants (caulking)
• Leaks and/or signs of mold
• Exterior appearance (chipping paint; public nuisance, etc.)
• Electrical fixtures (operable; cover plates; GFI, etc.)
• Flooring (bathroom non porous; carpeting intact)
• Any other violations of the adopted amended IPMC
Recommendation
• Staff requests acceptance of presentation
• Direct staff to move forward with Business Impact
Statement process
• Bring draft ordinance forward at conclusion of
Business Impact Statement process
