5. It shall be the duty of the licensing authority to receive applications made pursuant to section 4 of this act and to conduct such investigations as may be necessary to establish:
a. With respect to the premises for which a license is sought (1) that they are in compliance with all applicable building, housing, health and safety codes and regulations. An inspection performed by a municipal enforcement agent under a contractual agreement with the Department of Community Affairs pursuant to P.L.1979, c.496 (C. 55:13B-1 et seq.) may be deemed by the licensing authority to satisfy the investigation requirements of this section; (2) that the location of the premises will not, in conjunction with the proximity of other rooming and boarding houses, lead to an excessive concentration of such facilities in the municipality or a particular section thereof;

b. With respect to the owner or owners of the premises: (1) if a natural person or persons, that he or they are 21 years of age or older, and never convicted, in this State or elsewhere, of a crime involving moral turpitude, or of any crime under any law of this State licensing or regulating a rooming or boarding house, and have never had a license required pursuant to P.L.1979, c.496 (C. 55:13B-1 et seq.) revoked; (2) if a corporation, that all officers and members of the board of directors, and every stockholder holding 10% or more of the stock of the corporation, directly or indirectly having a beneficial interest therein, have the same qualifications as set forth in this subsection for an applicant who is a natural person;

c. With respect to the operator or proposed operator, that he meets the requirements for licensure by the Department of Community Affairs;

d. That the owner and operator, either individually or jointly, have established sufficient guarantee of financial and other responsibility to assure appropriate relocation of the residents of the rooming or boarding house to suitable facilities in the event that the license is subsequently revoked or its renewal denied. The Department of Community Affairs shall determine, in the case of each type of rooming and boarding house under its jurisdiction, what constitutes suitable facilities for this purpose;

e. At the discretion of the licensing municipality and pursuant to an ordinance, that the owner has paid all municipal property taxes due and owing on the rooming and boarding house, or in the case of an initial application, the applicant has paid all municipal property taxes due and owing on any other rooming and boarding house located within the municipality and owned by the applicant, provided that the owner has received written notice of any payment delinquency which has remained unpaid for more than 120 days. The provisions of this subsection shall not be construed as denying or limiting the rights of any displaced residents to relocation assistance in accordance with P.L.1971, c.362 (C. 20:4-1 et seq.); and

f. That the applicant has complied with regulations adopted in accordance with section 2 of P.L.1993, c.290 (C. 40:52-10).

L.1993,c.290,s.5; amended 1996, c.148; 1997, c.344, s.2.