By Associated Press - Tuesday, April 29, 2014

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) - Cedar Falls officials have approved a measure banning single-family homes from being converted into multi-unit rentals.

The City Council voted 6-1 Monday to prohibit such living arrangements in two of the city’s zoning districts. They’re currently single- and double-family homes, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported (https://bit.ly/1nCFAup ).

City Planner Marty Ryan said some people fear rental properties will detract from a neighborhood’s appearance and devalue properties if they’re improperly maintained. He said they could also lead to population and parking density problems.

“What we’re trying to do is protect residential neighborhoods, and when we see inappropriate conversions it does have an impact on the neighborhood,” he said.

Homeowners in those zoning districts can still rent out a home as one unit, Ryan said.

“We’re not restricting the ability to rent out single family homes, but we don’t want to see those homes converted,” he said.

Councilman-At-Large Nick Taiber opposed the measure. He said the ban might lead to greater rental restrictions, and referenced someone’s idea to ban rentals altogether in those zoning districts.

A special task force has been examining various restrictions on rental properties within the city. They aim to have recommendations to the council by mid-June.

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Information from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, https://www.wcfcourier.com

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