16 - Rental Property Maintenance Ordinance updateItem No. 16
memorandum
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: John Godwin, City Manager
SUBJECT: RENTAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ORDINANCE
DATE: May 31, 2019
BACKGROUND: The city council approved a property maintenance ordinance last summer to
address a few very basic minimum standards for single family rental properties.
STATUS OF ISSUE: To date, we have directly utilized the new ordinance on a number of
instances. As of May 30, Code Supervisor Robert Talley indicated that since adoption, he has
successfully worked seventeen cases that removed renters, occupants, or squatters from the
following structures:
406 SW 91h
834 W Cherry
420 NW 14th
743 SE 6th
2004 Cleveland (twice)
1191 Grove
151 NW 25th
1144 SW 5th
1232 W Cherry (has since been demolished)
503 E Tudor
1037 SE 6th — 3 separate times
400 NE 12th (has since been demolished)
1445 W Sherman
2591 W Houston
We have also received numerous complaints about apartment complexes, but they are not
covered under this ordinance. We complaints on residential single family dwellings too, but
these are also not covered by this ordinance. Concerns include mold, holes in sheetrock,
damaged roof gutters, broken AC units, damaged foundations, poor drainage, lack of paint, etc.
There are likely more structures that are out of compliance with the very basic components
included in the ordinance, but because we are permitted to identify violations only passively—
through complaints or if we have other reason to be inside a property, many go unreported or
identified. Even so, the ordinance has been very helpful, even its presence making a difference.
BUDGET: NA
RECOMMENDATION: Discussion only.