American Fork property owners may soon be required to get a city license before renting, and allow the city to inspect their rental property.

The city's Neighborhood Preservation Commission has suggested the city require landlords to purchase $50 annual permits as a way of improving rental housing. Provo requires landlords to license their rental properties.

Others believe the proposal would have the opposite affect.

Bob Halstrom, a landlord, called the move "an unnecessary evil."

"The license would be a fee and something else to worry about," he said. "They will be able to control things."

Jerry Edwards, a real estate agent who handles some rentals, said such a law would not be effective and would end up costing the city money.

"It is going to end up costing the city as much or more money to regulate it as they collect," he said.

Doug Bethers of the Neighborhood Preservation Commission proposed the licensing to the council. The idea is under review and is expected to be debated in a future meeting.

The proposal also calls for rental units to be inspected by the city.

"I think this will be a positive influence for the city," Bethers said. "It is not bad to have rental licensing. If someone dies in a basement because there is a fire and there is no way to exit because they can't get out the windows that would be a tragedy."

The plan would benefit residents living in the vicinity of rentals by requiring neighborhood standards, he said.

"People who rent in American Fork can expect to abide by the same laws and perform the same housekeeping duties as any homeowner in American Fork," he said. "They would not be exempt from keeping their yards up."

While there are laws on the city's books requiring certain standards of household and yard maintenance, the new licensing would add more power to enforcement since it makes the landlord responsible, Bethers said.

"They have the same responsibilities to keep and maintain their dwellings," he said about renters. "If they don't, it would be the landlord's responsibility."

Issuing permits for rentals would give the city a record of the property owner to turn to in case of complaints, and the landlords may be more selective in choosing renters if they are responsible for their actions, according to city officials.

"I think they would screen their tenants better if they were responsible for keeping the property up," Bethers said.

The proposed standards would also protect the renters by requiring landlords to maintain certain standards on their rental properties.

"They would have to maintain minimum health and safety requirements," Bethers said. "Structures would have to have the integrity they need to have people living there, such as proper installation and maintenance of plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems."

Parking is another important issue, he said.

"In many of the rentals, the cars are lining the streets because there is not sufficient off-street parking," he said.

Caleb Warnock contributed to this story.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page B1.