The City of Bethlehem operates a Rental Registration Program administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development / Housing Inspections. Owners of residential rental units must register each unit, identify a local agent, pay the annual fee, and submit to periodic property-maintenance inspection.
Bethlehem's Rental Registration Program is set out in the City's Codified Ordinances and administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development through Housing Inspections at City Hall, 10 East Church Street. Every owner of a residential rental dwelling within the City must register each unit, identify the owner and a local agent for service of process, and pay the annual registration fee set by City Council. Registration is paired with a periodic inspection cycle against the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) as adopted, covering smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, egress, heat, plumbing, electrical, structural integrity, and lead-paint disclosures for pre-1978 buildings. Inspections occur on rotation and on tenant complaint. Federal lead disclosure under 42 U.S.C. §4852d remains mandatory. Operating an unregistered rental is a violation of the Codified Ordinances.
Renting an unregistered unit, missing the annual fee, refusing inspection entry, or missing IPMC correction deadlines violates the Codified Ordinances. Citations go to MDJ Court with per-offense and per-day fines, plus possible registration suspension and condemnation of severely defective units.
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