Now I am not sure where you fall on the illegal alien issue, for many of us it is a complex and difficult topic. But the government of Fremont, California have come out with a rather draconian policy of demanding an occupancy license for their residents.
If you are looking to rent a property in Fremont you will have to apply for an occupancy license with the police department and then present it to the landlord.
The police will check the persons status to make sure they are not an illegal alien during the application process. There is no word on what the government will do if they find the applicant in the country illegally.
But the landlord will be on the hook if they do not get and retain a copy of the occupancy license. The policy will put added pressure on the landlords and the tenants in the city of Fremont to slow down illegal aliens in the community.
You can see the economic logic of the policy. The costs for social services for illegal aliens is depleting local budgets as they are required to pay for certain services. But the risk to landlords has increased.
What if the original renter is a straw renter, one who lends their name and residency status to the process, yet does not live there? Is the landlord on the hook? Do they need to video tape the signing of the lease to prove who they rented to?
Too many difficult issues packaged up into a small town. This will be interesting to watch.
Landlords and renters also would be affected by the ordinance, which would require anyone over the age of 18 to get an occupancy license when they move. Current residents of rental properties would not need to get a license unless they change addresses.
If someone in the rental property turns 18 while living there, he or she would also be required to obtain a license.
To obtain a license, a person simply must submit a completed application and pay a $5 fee to the Fremont Police Department. Licenses will be issued to every person who presents a completed application.
If an applicant indicates that they have alien status, the police would submit information into a federal database to verify that status.
Landlords would be required to notify renters of the occupancy license requirement and retain a copy of each renter’s occupancy license. via the Fremont Tribune
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fremont Nebraska, not CA. About 30 miles outside my hometown Omaha.