The Austin City Council will vote on the preparation and adoption of a new rental housing ordinance during its next regular meeting on Monday, May 7.

Developed to “maintain decent, safe, and sanitary rental units that do not contribute to blight or nuisance in neighborhoods,” the ordinance requires licensing for any rental dwelling unit (with some exceptions) and inspections of those units every two years by a city compliance officer. The ordinance also sets fees for licenses and inspections, rules regarding disorderly conduct from tenants and requires mandatory crime-free housing training from landlords.

The ordinance is set to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, pending council approval.

Discover Austin director Nancy Schnable will also present the Discover Austin annual report for 2017 during the meeting.

Matt Mullin and Jessica Van Voorhis of Maxfield Research and Consulting will give a presentation on their housing study during the council’s work session. The study will provide a demographic analysis, a review of housing characteristics, a review of employment trends, rental market analysis, senior housing analysis, for-sale housing analysis, a review of housing affordability and housing demand analysis.

Development Corporation of Austin President and CEO John Garry will give an update on DCA activities and Austin Human Resources Director Tricia Weichmann will have an evaluation discussion on the city administrator position during the work session.

The council meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, May 7, in the council chambers located in the basement of City Hall. The work session will be held immediately following the meeting in the conference room located across the hall from the council chambers.