The Baltimore County Council president said he will consider sponsoring a law to regulate the number of tenants in boarding houses and apartments ? to the chagrin of some Towson activists who say caps already exist but aren?t enforced.
County officials confirmed this week they don?t regulate apartment occupancy, responding to Towson residents who say they?ve been stonewalled in their quest to identify the county code. Several claimed a county employee read a memo at a meeting last week stating the county caps tenants at two per unit, and, if enforced, tis would solve problems with over-populated student apartments.
But county officials insist their interpretation of the memo was incorrect and no regulations exist. They receivefew complaints about apartment complexes outside the Towson University district, and occupancy restrictions would unfairly punish responsible landlords, a county spokesman said.
“This situation was not good, but we?re not going to solve it through zoning codes,” said county spokesman Don Mohler. “We?re going to solve it working with management companies and getting them to understand it?s not in their benefit to have 10 students crowded in an apartment and it?s not in the community?s interest.”
The county allows only two unrelated people in any housing unit without a special permit, according to county code. The county defines a boarding house as a residence with three or more unrelated tenants and a special permit, but does not define apartments.
Council president John Olszewski, D-District 7, said the discrepancy may have been an oversight and should be reconsidered.
“If we have communities housing more students in the apartments than can be handled … in terms of trash collection and parking spaces, if it?s putting a burden on the county, something needs to be done,” he said.
Mohler, who said fire restrictions limit occupants per square foot, said it?s too early to determine if the county would fight such legislation.
But residents like Corinne Becker, president of the Riderwood Hills Association, said they want to avoid potential opponents to the bill if a cap already exists. Becker accused county officials of releasing a different memo to community members and reporters to “cover up” the code identified at last week?s meeting.
“I don?t want to entertain creating a law when one already existed,” Becker said. “I want to know where this one went.”
