Under the proposal, the owner of one or more rental units must obtain a free license from the town. The law would not apply to one-, two-, three- or four-family dwellings where the owner lives in one of the units.

If a license is not obtained within 30 days of the law's passing, or if a license is denied, the owner is subject to a fine of $500 for each month he is without the license. If the fine is not paid, it would be added to the owner's tax bill.

The law is modeled on Cheektowaga's landlord licensing regulations, which were put in place in 2013. Cheektowaga Supervisor Diane Benczkowski said the law has helped the town keep track of owners of rental apartments. The fines that a landlord is subject to if there are drugs or other criminal activity at a rental property should give the landlord an incentive to get rid of the tenant, she said.

Cheektowaga is looking to add the licensing requirement to properties where an owner occupies one of the units, she said.

"This gives the owner a tool to evict the tenant," Benczkowski said.