MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Rental Homeowners Association of Mid-Michigan sent a memo to the Township Board during their last meeting requesting a change to the structure of their inspection system. The change would ultimately result in reduced registration fees for rental property by eliminating the annual registration fee of 100 dollars and only charging registration fees when there is a new property owner.

The letter cited Senate Bill 0313 which would hold rental properties around the state to the same standards the rental homeowners association wants Meridian Township to hold theirs. The bill was already passed by the senate and is now in the committee on local government.

"The significant costs that are involved with the inspections are due to having to be present and having to take time off of work as well the fees which are actually passed down to rental property inhabitants of this township. The idea that the owners pay those fees is a fantasy because they wrap those fees right into the rental property, in my case it boosts rental property by about 20 dollars a month," said Township resident and condominium owner William LeRue.

LeRue said the president of the Rental Homeowners Association of Mid-Michigan asked him to speak at the meeting.

The memo also asks the Township to lower initial registration fees to somewhere between 300 and 400 dollars citing quote a large number of homeowners who must rent their homes for economic reasons.