Millville to host 2nd Landlord Training Seminar

The Millville Weed and Seed program is hosting the second Landlord Training Seminar.

The city is continuing its push to educate landlords on their rights and responsibilities regarding code enforcement, evictions and crime with a second training session for property owners.
The session, sponsored by the Millville Weed and Seed program, is scheduled for Saturday, March 27, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Lakeside Middle School. According to Weed and Seed Coordinator Liz Nicklus, the second training seminar will largely be a rehash of the first session, hosted in September 2009.

"A lot of people let us know that they wanted to come out to the last session, but didn't get a chance to - so there's not going to be any new information here, since we're not trying to make landlords come back again and again," said Nicklus on Tuesday. "We're always looking for new people to participate in this."

What property owners found most interesting was the city's crime-free lease addendum, which allows landlords to add stipulations to their leases giving them greater authority over what is considered acceptable conduct at their properties.
Landlords were also briefed on their own obligations to keep their properties safe and within municipal housing codes, as well as how to request police reports for calls made to their tenants residences.

"Many of them, at first, did not want to come out for something like this, but they eventually came up to us saying that this is really about protecting their assets," said Nicklus. "This is, really, for their benefit."

According to city officials, a "zero-tolerance" policy regarding code enforcement, spearheaded by Public Works Commissioner Dale Finch, had resulted in 700 violations handed out to property owners between January and September 2009.

There is still time for landlords to register for this informative program. It is more than just propaganda, landlords in every case came away with new knowledge and the tools to help them manage their properties effectively. Good landlords make good neighbors, and one bad landlord can destroy an entire neighborhood.

Contact Liz Nicklus at 825-7000 ext 7299 to register.