Recommendation for rental ID check off council's table
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer

FREEHOLD - A recommendation to investigate the possibility of enacting a law that would require landlords to ask prospective tenants to provide valid proof of citizenship or permanent residency is "off the table," according to Mayor Michael Wilson.

The idea was one of 15 recommendations made by the town's Rental Prop-erty Advisory Committee in a recent report to the Bor-ough Council. The council never proposed such an ordinance.

Wilson said the next step in the program to tighten the reins on landlords who do not keep up their property will be for municipal officials to discuss measures that can be adopted.

Advocates for the borough's Latino community had characterized that particular recommendation (the proof of citizenship) as one that would target their constituency. They were planning to hold a demonstration against such a law prior to the council's March 5 meeting.

Among the issues addressed in the Rental Property Advisory Committee's recommendations to the council were the exploitation of tenants, overcrowding, landlords who neglect to maintain the interior and exterior of rental properties, and otherwise compromise the health, safety and welfare of the community.

Representatives from three organizations, Casa Freehold, the United Day Laborers of Freehold and the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, were planning to demonstration in front of Borough Hall on Mon-day evening.

They were expected to urge municipal officials to reject some of the advisory committee's recommendations.

In a letter to the editor of the News Transcript discus-sing issues relating to illegal immigration, Councilman Marc Le Vine this week said "there are no plans to adopt" an ordinance that would require landlords to ask prospective tenants to provide valid proof of citizenship or permanent residency.