Almost two years after Spiritwood residents first advocated removing dormitory-style rentals in single-family neighborhoods like theirs, the city council is poised to adopt a permanent ordinance that would make residences with up to four unrelated tenants exist as a family-style unit under one lease.

Spiritwood residents became concerned in May 2013 about a number of houses being purchased and renovated by investors into multi-room rentals, increasing traffic and decreasing their sense of neighborly community. An emergency ordinance was enacted three months later, and has been in effect through a number of extensions ever since.

Planning Commission Chairman Aaron Laing laid out what “tweaking” was done for the final ordinance being recommended to city council on Monday.

He said community feedback was important, with residents expressing a desire for “neighborly accountability” that was not being met by the multiple tenants living under separate leases together in single-family neighborhoods.

To be fair, Laing said, as well as requiring up to four unrelated tenants in a house zoned for single-family residences to share one lease, the planning commission recommends the director be able to verify the tenants are operating as a “single housekeeping unit” and operating as a family-style unit; examples include sharing the entire home unit, food and utility costs, furniture and appliance ownership and being able to prove the living arrangement is not temporary.

Under the proposed ordinance, which the council will vote on April 6, homeowners may continue to operate a bed and breakfast with a two-room maximum as long as they acquire a home occupation permit that clarifies the residence is owner-occupied.