Hampton will soon crack down on squatters and houses falling into disrepair by requiring property owners to register vacant buildings annually.

City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Wednesday to establish a vacant building registry. In recent years, city officials and staff have expressed concern about vacant structures not being maintained, falling into disrepair and attracting pests and rodents. Another concern is squatters moving in and vacant homes becoming sites for gang activity, drug use or violence.

But city officials say because there hasn't been a registry, police have often had difficulty determining which houses are occupied.

"We may have the suspicion they are a squatter, but until we get proof that the owner hasn't given them permission to be there, a lot of times they'll say, 'well, the property owner gave me permission,'" said City Manager Mary Bunting. "Then we've got to verify with the property owner, but we may not have an immediate contact for that person. So the registry is supposed to help make that easy."

Not all vacant buildings will have to be registered, as the city does not have such authority from the General Assembly. Property owners would only have to register buildings annually if they have been vacant for more than 12 consecutive months and the building is either derelict, the site of criminal blight or has an unauthorized person living inside.

Derelict buildings have conditions that endanger the public's health or safety and are vacant, boarded up, and not lawfully connected to water or utility services. State code defines "criminal blight" as a condition existing on property that endangers the public health or safety of residents of a locality. State code says criminal blight is caused by the regular presence on the property of people in possession or under the influence of controlled substances; illegally possessing, manufacturing, or distributing controlled substances; using the property for engaging in commercial sex acts; or the discharge of a firearm that would constitute a criminal act.

The ordinance requires the owners to provide the city with their address, a phone number, information about how long the building is likely to remain vacant and why, a description of the measures to ensure compliance with all applicable codes, and proof of an ongoing rodent abatement and prevention plan.

Bunting said the city and police are typically informed about suspicious activity in buildings by neighbors, who notice activity on usually vacant properties.

"So that's really the purpose of the building register -- so we have someone easy to contact to do these kinds of things and say, 'you may not be aware, there's this squatter here,'" Bunting said. "Sometimes it's very hard for us to track down."

Residents who have concerns about vacant properties or squatters can call 311 or the non-emergency police number 757-727-6111.

City spokesperson Mike Holtzclaw said creation of the registery won't require the city to hire any new employees and work will be done by existing staff. Bunting does not expect the registry to have any substantial costs to the city.

Hampton will require owners of vacant buildings to pay an initial registration fee of $100. For subsequent years in which the building remains vacant, there will be an annual registration fee of $100 due within 15 days of the anniversary of initial registration. Those who fail to register will have to pay a $200 civil penalty.

Newport News has also expressed an interest in establishing a vacant building registry program, but city officials want the state to increase the registration fee cap to make running the program more financially feasible.