NORWICH – The City of Norwich Codes Department has been busier than usual over the last couple of months. With the inception of the rental registration program, issues within the city are being dealt with in a more timely matter.

According to City Code Enforcement Officer Jason Lawrence, “the rental registration has already been utilized numerous times.” The rental registration was recently added to Chapter 50 of the City Code, Minimum Standards for Housing. It calls for landlords of non-owner occupied or vacant rental dwelling units to participate in the registration. Landlords have to provide a name, address, and a telephone number where they can be reached at all times. In addition, rental property owners are asked to provide a local contact, to act on their behalf, in the event they cannot be reached.

“If we find a violation, we can easily call or e-mail the owner. We’re not spending hours tracking people down, and in most cases the issues are addressed the same day,” Lawrence said. So far 880 rental properties have been registered with the city, a higher number than the 600 to 700 that were expected.