Scott City considers rental property inspection program

It would be a while, at least six months according to Mayor Tim Porch, but landlords in Scott City could eventually be subject to rental inspections after each new renter.

The details of the inspection process haven't yet been discussed among city officials, but Porch said he plans to ask Scott City council members to revisit the topic in July, once the city's annual budget is finalized.

The issue was tabled late in 2009 after a not-for-profit landlord association was formed at the mayor's request to help keep rental properties in the city from deteriorating.

It was also the hope that the association would save the city from having to hire private inspectors, an action that would have cost Scott City more than was available at the time.

"We were hoping the landlord association could work it out among themselves and, to be honest, there has been some improvements," Porch said. "But I think we're going to have to get involved in it. We're going to be faced with having to do the inspections at some point."

Since June 2010, city administrator Ron Eskew said he's sent two dozen notices to building owners for not complying with Scott City's substandard building ordinance. All but one owner has brought property up to compliance.

"We may follow through with condemnation there, but I haven't started that yet," Eskew said. "And not all of these are rentals."

Rob Hodo, Scott City building inspector, was unavailable Monday to talk about the city's substandard building ordinance and detail how many rental properties in the city are not meeting building code standards.

Porch said he would suggest to the council that they track new renters via their water bill. So, any time a new renter signs a contract with a city landlord, the city would be able to schedule a new inspection.

City government would either contract with Hodo or a private inspector to complete the regular inspections. Landlords with a history of good inspections may eventually not be subject to the process.

"I envision it happening continuously for renters for a while," Porch said.

The landlord association has made progress since its formation nearly two years ago -- it has developed a strict code of ethics for members -- but a low membership has kept it from getting a variety input on how rental property standards can be improved, according to Paul Schock, an association member. Of the 75 landlords with properties in Scott City, only 15 are members of the association, Schock said.

Porch wanted input from more of the city's landlords, he said Monday.

"We have several that always ask about it, but just have not committed to joining yet," said Missy Buckner, the association's secretary-treasurer and general manager for Sprenger Properties LLC. "I don't think they realize the benefits of it at this time."

Members have access to seminars that in the past have outlined the state's eviction law, a variety of educational documents on statutes that govern landlord and tenant relationships and a "problem tenant" list.

Buckner said the rental inspections, if implemented, likely wouldn't affect Sprenger Properties unless an inspection fee was assessed. Sprenger Properties manages about 15 different rental properties in Scott City. The company also owns rental homes in Chaffee, Mo., and Cape Girardeau.

"We are up to code. We maintain our properties," she said. "Obviously we want everybody to have a nice, safe home to live in town."

When inspections were previously discussed, Porch said the price of each inspection would be about $50 and could drive up rent costs. Once the council begins to discuss the possibility of rental property inspections, Porch added they'll be consulting the landlord association regularly.

In a different attempt to clean up properties, the city has made offers to purchase vacant mobile home parcels on Maple Street and in the area of Wall and Cherry streets. A total of eight units are vacant in the Maple Street lot and five are vacant along Cherry Street. Eskew said the city is in the negotiation process with owners and are having the lots appraised. Due to continuing negotiations, he couldn't disclose the city's offer.

"They're smaller mobile parks, but they're the older ones and they just weren't cost effective to keep maintained or replaced with newer homes," Eskew said. "They are borderline condemnable."

If the city acquired the properties, Eskew said the city council has discussed removing the mobile homes and reselling the property to recuperate costs or install small neighborhood parks.

"It doesn't make sense to bring them up to code because they're so old," Eskew said. "This was a new initiative to try to help clean up those two areas."

Jennifer Burden, a resident of Scott City who lives less than a mile from the Maple Street park, said she's been driving past the "eyesore" on a daily basis for three years. She's not opposed, she said, to the city buying the parcels.

"It would be nice to see something there for the children," Burden said.

In Cape Girardeau, city leaders are working on creating a rental inspection program of their own. At the latest city council meeting, Mayor Harry Rediger said staff is working on a rental inspection program that would require landlords to pay for annual licenses. Those licenses would subject a landlord's property to routine inspections. Council members said they wanted to enact the ordinance first to address neighborhood concerns, while Rediger called this ordinance an "interim" step. City staff is hosting a public meeting with the area's landlords at 7 p.m. June 23 at the Osage Centre.

The Scott City Landlord's Association also recently launched its own website that includes available rentals and member contacts. Learn more about the association at www.scottcitylandlords.com.

ehevern@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

215 Chester Ave., Scott City, MO

Maple Street, Scott City, MO