Cedar Rapids tightens rule for landlords who don’t show up for housing inspections

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday tightened rules for landlords who failing to show up for inspections or otherwise neglect their properties.

Several landlords spoke against the changes to the city’s nuisance abatement policy at a Dec. 7 council meeting, saying the changes were too harsh and that a one-time failure to show up for an inspection or to plow snow might land their properties on the city’s nuisance list.

The changes to Chapter 22A, the ordinance outlining regulations for nuisance properties, allow for one “no-show” — where a property owner fails to appear for an inspection scheduled by the city — before a property is designated as a nuisance. Before, the city allowed for two no-shows.

Amanda Grieder, manager of the Safe CR program, had told the council the Building Services department imposes a “no-show” fee on property owners who are habitually unresponsive and absent from inspections.

As of the Dec. 7 meeting, Safe CR had sent 10 owners notices of violation for no-show trip fees in 2021, Grieder said.

At the time, the council, in a 7-2 vote, advanced the ordinance on its first reading.

Council member Marty Hoeger, who voted against the proposal Dec. 7, was absent Tuesday when the change was approved.

Council member Pat Loeffler was the other “no” vote but on Tuesday voted in support of the change. He did not say why he’d changed his vote and did not respond to a request for comment.

Accessory dwelling units

The council also signed off on changes to standards regulating accessory dwelling units — known by a variety of names such as granny flats, backyard bungalows and garage apartments.

The changes allow larger accessory units along with more types and locations. City officials view the expansion in the zoning ordinance as a way to add housing stock to a city with a housing shortage.

Previously, Cedar Rapids allowed the accessory units as a conditional use in suburban character areas. The amended ordinance allows them in all residential districts.

The amended ordinance allows units up to 1,000 square feet. Previously, the units were capped at 50 percent of the primary structure’s size or 800 square feet, whichever was less.

Additionally, the amended policy allows up to two units — one detached and one attached (or internal) — per lot. The previous limit was one.

This expansion is in line with steps cities around the country are taking to increase their housing stock. Since Cedar Rapids adopted a new zoning code in 2019, only four accessory units have been built.

Council member Dale Todd had supported the changes on a first reading, then voted against them the second time to ask for a separate third and final reading of the ordinance. He supported it Tuesday, and it passed unanimously.

“I know it’s the latest fad in urban planning,” Todd said. “I wanted to make sure that 10 years down the road, we’re not kicking ourselves for what we did. In discussions with staff, I have enough reassurance that we’re doing the right thing and that there are protections from a worst-case scenario.”

Todd said he considered a scenario where a property owner or landlord is undercapitalized and starts building many accessory dwelling units “and is ambivalent to who they rent to," with the goal of trying to enhance their cash flow.

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