LEWISTON — An effort to streamline city zoning ordinances could wind up helping landlords provide some low income housing.

The Lewiston Planning Board Monday voted to do away with boarding houses in all but one city zone district. That category would be replaced by lodging houses in most instances.

City Planner David Hediger said the change stems from an  effort to clean up city zoning rules. Boarding house rules require landlords to provide regular meals along with room rentals, according to city zoning definitions. Lodging house rules don’t require landlords to provide meals, letting them provide a central kitchen if they choose.

Lewiston does not have any boarding houses currently, but does have several lodging houses.

“Boarding houses are not used anymore,” Hediger told Planning Board members. “They tend to be more complex, because once they begin to provide regular meals there are questions of health codes. Landlords today don’t want to worry about that.”

Lewiston zoning currently allows boarding houses in five downtown zones, Medium Density Residential, Downtown Residential, Office Residential, Urban Enterprise and Centerville. Those zoning districts cover much of the downtown, from Canal Street to Birch Street and from Holland Street to Adams Avenue.

Attorney and landlord Tom Peters, representing himself and other property owners, said simple lodging units are proving popular for landlords. Developing a building for lodging units, and not apartments, means that landlords do not have to provide kitchens in each unit.

“They are perfect for people that need a bed and place to keep their things but are fine getting their meals elsewhere,” Peters said. It makes the buildings less expensive to develop — and less expensive to rent.

“They can be a good option for people that don’t have a lot of money,” he said.

Planning Board members voted to eliminate boarding houses from the zoning code in the Medium Density, Office Residential and Urban Enterprise districts. Those districts already allow lodging houses as a permitted use.

The board voted to change the Downtown Residential district to remove boarding houses and allow lodging houses. But a similar vote, for the Centerville District, failed by a 3-1 vote. Board member Kevin Morissette said he didn’t agree with allowing either type of housing unit in the district, which includes the area between Park and Canal streets from Adams Avenue north and the land on either side of High Street and Main Street from Holland Street to Canal St.

Now the Planning Board’s recommendations go to the City Council for an August public hearing.

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