HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-16-2017 - Cross, BCOUNCIL MEETING:_FN %_L_4 v �Lw
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ITEM NO : _k trp FEB 16 2017
0 CITY CLERK I'
From: Brett Cross [
Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2017 9:31 PM
To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.orQ>
Subject: R ENTAL HOUSING INSPECTION PROGRAM ORDINANCE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS WORKSHOP
Dear Mayor and Council member,
Unfortunately I cannot make the workshop due to another commitment. I'd like to share a few of my thoughts on the
Ordinance.
I wrote a letter to the Council when the Ordinance was first being proposed and my first thought was that businesses
who are subject to regulation, in this case the Rental Inspection Ordinance, are never too keen on the idea. First off
if you are already in compliance it just costs money and is pain and second if you happen to be in violation of a new
regulation you're definitely not so excited about the idea.
Let back up a bit though. The Rental Inspection Ordinance didn't come about out of nothingness. There is a real
problem with substandard housing being rented in the community. The government, in this case the City, has a
responsibility to ensure that health, safety, and welfare of the public, renters in this case, is maintained. That's a
basic role of government.
The health, safety, and welfare of renters should be a right and not dependent on whether they are knowledgeable
about health and safety codes or due to their income have to accept living in substandard housing. That is just not
fundamentally right.
There has been some discussion that this ordinance is not the proper solution to protecting the health, safety, and
welfare of renters and a better solution would be to educate renters on the health and safety codes. You could do
that but it's far from simple and it puts the burden on renters to become knowledgeable about the building codes,
health codes, and the like. It's certainly not ideal.
Along the lines of "empowering" renters to bring issues up to their landlords the reason that didn't happen and has
gotten the City to point it did in enacting the ordinance, is yes some of it is not knowing the codes etc., but it is the
same reason that is being given for repealing the ordinance is a fear by renters that the business owner (landlord)
will either raise their rent or kick the tenants out.
Too many renters are fearful of having their rents go up or getting kicked out to depend on them to turn in their
landlords property to the City. Plus in a lot of cases the renters, with full knowledge of the landlord, are responsible
for converting garages, attic spaces, etc. into living areas.
The one issue that has a lot of folks uneasy is having the City come into a house they are renting to inspect it. I don't
want to get into the legal issues other than to say that it's the business, which in this case is a house, that is being
inspected -not the tenants. Nobody thinks twice about restaurants being inspected by the County health department.
They don't come to my house to inspect my kitchen because I'm not using my kitchen for commercial purposes If I
did I would have to get an inspection.
had pointed out in the letter I sent the Council back when the ordinance was being proposed that inspections by
private businesses should be allowed. No different than any other home inspections that take place during realty
transactions. The City could create the requirements for qualified home inspectors and if the business met the
requirements the property owner could have them do the inspection or the City. I think you should consider that
idea some more.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Brett Cross
San Luis Obispo, CA