City says it has opened investigations into 'pad‑split' rooming houses and will use rooming‑house definitions to enforce

City code enforcement told the council on May 7 that it has begun investigations into properties operating as rooming houses — single‑family homes renting individual rooms to separate tenants, sometimes called “pad splits.”

Shane Gillery said staff has six active investigations and has issued cease‑and‑desist notices to two properties; those properties were given 30 days to relocate occupants where necessary. Gillery said the city will rely on a rooming‑house definition in the Unified Development Code to prohibit such operations in single‑family zones (except in the city’s RXF district) and that staff is using internet‑monitoring services to find additional listings.

Gillery said enforcement is complicated because these uses are not always visible from the public right of way: investigators need tangible evidence such as internet ads, lease information, or on‑site interviews to document violations. He said the city will pursue updated, clearer UDC language to avoid ambiguity and coordinate an inspections program and legal strategy for repeat offenders.

Why it matters: Pad‑split operations can change neighborhood character, generate complaints and complicate code enforcement. The city’s approach asserts zoning and leasing patterns that treat room‑by‑room rentals as a prohibited rooming‑house use unless the property is in a zone that permits boarding/rooming houses.

What’s next: Staff will continue investigations, issue notices where evidence supports enforcement, bring clarifying UDC amendments to Planning & Zoning, and work with legal on prosecution and potential registration revocation for repeat violators.