You don't need a license just yet to rent out a home in Windsor.
City council is deferring a decision that would put a licensing system in place following a stalemate on the issue — councillors kept splitting votes on the matter.
Councillor Bill Marra was absent for the meeting on Monday, so the issue will be brought back to a meeting where all councillors are present.
At the centre of the debate was the safety of rental units in Windsor.
West-end resident and lodging house owner Mike Cardinal doesn't agree with city administration's view that there are already enough regulations in place to ensure safe rental living spaces.
"I think I saw a struggle where some people are misgiven — putting profits over people and that's never good," says Cardinal.
Council now dealing with Residential Rental Licensing item; long list of speakers lined up #cklw pic.twitter.com/ZYa1ylMuT9
— Ricardo Veneza (@RicardoVeneza) November 20, 2017
Many in favour of licensing feel the system would improve conditions and could have saved the life of 19-year-old Andrew Kraayenbrink who died last year (Oct. 2016) in a house fire on Rankin Ave. living with five others.
Ward 6 councillor Jo-Anne Gignac feels licensing for rental properties is needed because what's in place now isn't working.
"I've been dealing with the issue since 2003," says Gignac. "These tools have been available to us and we're actually seeing increasing issues."
Property owner Kevin Flood attends the regular council meeting of the City of Windsor on November 20, 2017. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Many of the property owners addressing council argued licensing would add an unnecessary cost that would simply be passed down to tenants, rising rent prices and deterring other investors from coming to Windsor to build new rental units or renovate existing properties.
Cardinal says many businesses requiring licensing — and so too should rental properties.
"We need some kind of a system not on the burden of taxpayers," says Cardinal. "I don't think this should be on the general tax payers dime. I think those that are earning money on rooms for rent and houses for rent ought to be paying into a system where we make sure those places are safe."
To address safety concerns, administration had recommended hiring four temporary building and property inspectors along with four temporary fire prevention and safety officers as part of a two-year pilot project.
West-end resident Alan Richardson attends the regular council meeting of the City of Windsor on November 20, 2017. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)