NORWICH – As the current rental registry agreement between the city and rental property owners draws nearer to expiration, the Common Council will have to make a decision regarding the fate of the current agreement and what changes, if any, should be made.

The rental registry was adopted by the council in 2007 in an effort to protect tenants and landlords from excessively damaged or unsafe residences within the city. Now reaching the end of the agreement’s three-year term, possible changes including increased penalty and violation costs and a mandatory enrollment for owners of all rented residential properties in the city could take effect in the coming year.

According to Mayor Joseph Maiurano, any of the changes would be a step in the right direction for the renters and landlords in the city. He described it as a “win-win” between tenants and landlords. By gathering property and contact information, he said, the city can assure that everything is up to code and offer more protection for city residents who rent.

“Most of the landlords in our community are very good,” Maiurano said, “but we have had houses illegally converted into apartments in the past ... The registry agreement helps make sure everyone is in a safe environment.”