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how many have rental inspection ordinances

C

codeworks

Gold Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2011
Messages
579
Location
South Texas
i've been in this community a little less than a year. i see a lot of rental properties ( and privatley owned) that are not kept up, not maintained, probably have'nt been inspected since they were built. i'd like to draft a rental inspection program to present, but i'm not sure where to start. any ideas would be helpful. we had them back home, fee based for registration of unit, annual inspections for building safety/fire code issues
 
http://www.ecode360.com/BR1254

Chapter 169 is the rental ordiance. Fee for inspection is $25. Fines are significant because some "slumlords" were considering smaller fines to be a business expense. The threat of mandatory imprisonment on a 2nd offense usually does the job. The slumlords will fight it all the way, but it is good for the city.
 
codeworks said:
i'm not sure where to start.
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By talking with your boss's boss's boss. Usually, there isn't one for a reason. And that reason is political disinterest.
 
p*ss is spelled pi$$

or p!ss

and even pizz

but not p*ss
 
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ok, thanks for the spelling correction. what do you all do about/with rentals where you are ? are they inspected regulary or allowed to fall in to disrepair and eventualy become uninhabitable ?
 
codeworks said:
ok, thanks for the spelling correction. what do you all do about/with rentals where you are ? are they inspected regulary or allowed to fall in to disrepair and eventualy become uninhabitable ?
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We do absolutely nothing. We have plenty of state landlord tenant rights laws on the books that we stay as far away as we can.
 
codeworks said:
political disinterest is a p*ss poor reason to allow for the "development" of slums
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You don't bring a rental inspection ordinance to the mayor. The mayor brings a rental inspection ordinance to you.

"Political disinterest" is euphemism.

To put it another way...

Follow the money.
 
We have a property maintenance code. If the building has become an eyesore or a danger we can give the owner a notice of violation to have them fix up the property. But that's only exterior upkeep. We can't inspect the interior of the structure unless the current tenant complains of problems inside.
 
i disagree with brudgers. i come from an area that had no rental policy, all it took was 3 children ages 4, 6 and 8 all family to die in an apartment house fire over christmas weekend to change that. there is no need for this kind of tragedy to happen when a pro active position can help to prevent it. hows that for "money"
 
codeworks said:
i disagree with brudgers. i come from an area that had no rental policy, all it took was 3 children ages 4, 6 and 8 all family to die in an apartment house fire over christmas weekend to change that. there is no need for this kind of tragedy to happen when a pro active position can help to prevent it. hows that for "money"
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So if you had an active rental inspection program in place there would never be any fires or deaths?

We do not nor ever will live in a Utopian society. Death whether by fire, accidents or natural causes is an unavoidable fact of live.

We need to quit letting emotions influence our laws/codes.
 
mtlogcabin said:
So if you had an active rental inspection program in place there would never be any fires or deaths? We do not nor ever will live in a Utopian society. Death whether by fire, accidents or natural causes is an unavoidable fact of live.

We need to quit letting emotions influence our laws/codes.
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AMEN to that mtlogcabin. Whiley your regulating rentals for life safety reasons, you also need to include a daily inspection schedule with fines for residential property, some of those are in disrepair same has rentals.
 
thats not what i'm saying. an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. when i see buildings falling apart and "squaller" around the proverbial corner, i see a need to do something about it if i can. we don't even have an existing building code, so there are new neighboor hoods going up next to decrepit buildings, it makes no sense, so action seems to be the word here, on both fronts. i don't buy into ignoring something in hopes it will go away
 
codeworks said:
thats not what i'm saying. an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. when i see buildings falling apart and "squaller" around the proverbial corner, i see a need to do something about it if i can. we don't even have an existing building code, so there are new neighboor hoods going up next to decrepit buildings, it makes no sense, so action seems to be the word here, on both fronts. i don't buy into ignoring something in hopes it will go away
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That's noble. So you will include private residentials in your ordinance.
 
i'm going to include it. if i can the city council to read it and listen is another story. nobility has little to do with it. how did we all get into this business ? it's based on need. triangle shirt factory fire, the great chicago fire, how many others, san fransisco earthquakes, on and on
 
Our rental inspection program was all set to go until it got some bad press. The BOS reversed there position and canned the program. We use Property Maintenance code where we can but no annual rental inspections.
 
Like kyhowey and Daddy-O, I don't have a specific rental inspection program but I do use the IPMC along with CA H&S Code when a tenant files a written complaint with my office.

Sue
 
codeworks said:
thats not what i'm saying. an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. when i see buildings falling apart and "squaller" around the proverbial corner, i see a need to do something about it if i can. we don't even have an existing building code, so there are new neighboor hoods going up next to decrepit buildings, it makes no sense, so action seems to be the word here, on both fronts. i don't buy into ignoring something in hopes it will go away
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Thers is a big difference between a rental inspection program and adopting the IEBC or IPMC as tools you can use when needed. I suggest you get the tools you can use adopted first and start to work with those. That might be all you need to keep you busy for a long time
 
codeworks said:
i disagree with brudgers. i come from an area that had no rental policy, all it took was 3 children ages 4, 6 and 8 all family to die in an apartment house fire over christmas weekend to change that. there is no need for this kind of tragedy to happen when a pro active position can help to prevent it. hows that for "money"
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You completely misunderstand my position. I am only expressing the political reality.

Dead kids create political will, sometimes.

But up to that point, a rental inspection ordinance is low on the agenda.

And the normal consequences of calling a council members cousin a slum lord is about all that will grow out of it.
 
codeworks said:
i'm going to include it. if i can the city council to read it and listen is another story. nobility has little to do with it. how did we all get into this business ? it's based on need. triangle shirt factory fire, the great chicago fire, how many others, san fransisco earthquakes, on and on
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Are you proposing to write a code that prohibits earthquakes?
 
brudgers said:
You completely misunderstand my position. I am only expressing the political reality.

Dead kids create political will, sometimes.

But up to that point, a rental inspection ordinance is low on the agenda.

And the normal consequences of calling a council members cousin a slum lord is about all that will grow out of it.
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That nails it for our AHJ's view on rental inspection (...and contractor registration/licensing, etc.).
 
we have a rental program & a multi family program . the rental program costs $ 300.00 per yr & is required to be inspected every yr . its supposed to be for over crowding , house in disrepair , tall grass & weeds , however when these guys get in the house they spend an hour to an hour & a half looking at the stupidest stuf , lite bulb out , hole in a screen , locks not locking the right way . they even make people open walls to add an outlet or a light switch even tho the house was approved back in the 60s & 70s . they get complaints every day .
 
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