Bangor is considering requiring landlords to obtain a rental license, which would give the city the data it needs to build a registry of all the city’s rental housing units and ensure they meet basic health and safety standards.
Councilors discussed the license policy idea Monday during a workshop of the City Council’s business and economic development committee. The conversation about rental licenses and the registry took place one week after the Bangor Daily News published a story highlighting how the city hasn’t established a rental registry years after first listing it as a priority.
A workgroup of city officials and local stakeholders that was created to brainstorm ways to combat Bangor’s housing shortage named building a housing registry a priority in 2018. The group believed that data on existing housing in Bangor would inform future decisions intended to improve the amount, quality and affordability of housing available in the city.
Since then, city departments have sought funding to establish a registry but Bangor has failed to bring it to life. Meanwhile, the city’s housing shortage has worsened and its homeless population has grown.
Building a registry of all rental units in Bangor would give the city valuable data on the status of the city’s housing market, such as where rental units are located, how large they are and what the quality of those properties is, Anne Krieg, Bangor’s economic development director, said. A registry program would also ensure units meet basic health and safety standards through regular inspections.
A license or registry program would also tell the city how many units are available for short-term rentals compared with long-term rentals, how many units have age or income limits and which units are accessible for those with mobility limitations, Councilor Gretchen Shaefer said.
Several councilors voiced general support for creating a rental registry in the committee workshop on Monday, stating that getting more thorough information on what housing options exist can help the city identify what the community needs.
“We have to get the ball rolling because we’ve been talking about this forever,” Councilor Dina Yacoubagha said. “This will lead our work in the future when we talk about housing — it will help us with a plan.”
With the councilors’ support, city staff will draft proposed guidelines for the license process, which will be brought back to councilors for final approval.
The city is also aiming to create a registry of all short-term rental units in Bangor, according to Kreig.
In a March memo to councilors, Krieg stated establishing a registry of short term rental properties may be more time sensitive, because short term rentals, or units that can be rented fewer than 30 days, aren’t allowed anywhere in the city. Despite this rule, short term rentals like Airbnbs still exist and more are coming online.
Bangor is considering establishing rules and regulations to allow short term rentals, though they would require an annual license and inspection. Establishing a registry of those properties would help the city enforce those potential licensing and inspection rules.
City staff will hold a workshop next week to provide information on the proposed rules and regulations for short-term rentals. That workshop will take place at 5 p.m. on July 27 at the Bangor Public Library.
