North Catasauqua Borough Council held a special meeting Aug. 3 to get public feedback on its plans for two upcoming ordinances that will introduce major new regulations for landlords and renters in the borough.

One of the ordinances will introduce the necessity for landlords to receive and maintain a certificate of occupancy before renting their property. The other will initiate a residential rental inspection program, which introduces a number of new standards for renting.

Developed over the past 20 months, these two ordinances will serve many purposes but are primarily the borough’s attempts to prevent future headaches and potential disputes with property owners and renters.

Throughout the past several years, North Catasauqua has had issues with a number of properties that were not properly cared for or maintained by owners, some of which could have developed into tragedies if left totally unchecked.

For example, in December 2019, the borough was forced to evict 15 residents from a property at 1122 Front St. because the building did not meet minimum safety requirements and was deemed unfit for human habitation.

At the special meeting, council President Peter Paone described the interior of the massive building as “mazelike,” which easily could have been disastrous for its many residents if there was ever a fire.

“The main reason behind [the ordinances] is to address these issues,” Paone explained, referring to a number of problem properties the borough has dealt with in recent years.

There were a handful of borough residents in attendance at the meeting, which was held both virtually, via video conference, and in person, in the basement of North Catasauqua Borough Hall.

Feedback was minimal, with one couple in attendance raising concerns about residents living in garages or mobile homes. Paone said living in mobile homes, such as trailers and RVs, is against the borough’s code, and garages will be further regulated as residential rentals through these ordinances once they are adopted.

Without needing to make any changes based on resident feedback, council expects to vote on and adopt these ordinances at its first meeting next month.