Jamestown, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 216 § 216-6
Registration and fee required
Operative Text
A. It shall be unlawful for any Owner to Engage in the Business of Rental Housing, unless: (1) Each rental housing unit is registered with the City of Jamestown; (2) The rental housing unit receives a certificate of occupancy; and (3) The inspection fee is paid for each rental housing unit acquired after this ordinance takes effect. B. A rental housing unit is registered with the City of Jamestown when the owner of the rental property submits a completed registration form, made available by the City, signed under penalty of perjury to the Department of Development. The registration form must contain the following information: (1) Description of the rental housing property, including, but not limited to, the street address and assessor's parcel number; (2) Number and address or other description of all rental housing units on the rental housing property; (3) Name and current contact information for the owner of the rental housing property; (4) Name and current contact information for the local contact representative, as described in this chapter; (5) Name, address, and telephone number of the person or entity that a tenant is to contact when requesting repairs be made to their rental housing unit and the contact's business relationship to the owner; (6) The date, location, and type of violation(s) for all rental housing units on the rental property for which the owner has been cited in the past two years; and (7) Any other information reasonably required by the Director to carry out this chapter. C. Effective August 1, 2024, the registration requirement established by this section shall go into effect. Initial registration of rental housing units is due within 90 days of August 1, 2024. After the initial registration, the owner shall register each housing unit within 30 days of a change of ownership.
Section 216-6 of Jamestown's Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful to operate rental housing in the city without first completing three steps: registering each unit with the City, obtaining a certificate of occupancy for it, and paying the required inspection fee for any unit acquired after the ordinance took effect. Registration is accomplished by submitting a completed, perjury-certified form to the Department of Development containing detailed information about the property, the owner, a local contact representative, repair contacts, and any violations cited in the past two years. The registration requirement became active on August 1, 2024, with initial registrations due within 90 days of that date; after that, re-registration is required within 30 days whenever ownership of a unit changes.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 216-6, compliant rental property operators in Jamestown ensure that every rental housing unit is registered with the City before it is rented out, that a certificate of occupancy is in place, and that inspection fees are paid for any unit acquired after the ordinance's effective date. Operators generally keep their registration forms current and accurate—including up-to-date contact information for themselves, a local representative, and the designated repair contact—and file a new registration within 30 days any time a unit changes ownership. Because the registration form is signed under penalty of perjury, operators typically verify that all reported details, including any violation history from the past two years, are complete and accurate before submission.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 216-6 establishes that your landlord is legally required to register each rental unit with the City of Jamestown, hold a valid certificate of occupancy, and pay applicable inspection fees—operating without meeting these requirements is unlawful. If you have reason to believe your unit is not registered or lacks a certificate of occupancy, you may contact the City of Jamestown's Department of Development to inquire about a unit's registration status. Tenant-rights organizations in the Jamestown area can help you understand what options may be available if your landlord is not in compliance with § 216-6.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
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