Scott City readies rental inspections program

Rental properties in Scott City will be subject to city inspections starting in January, officials said Thursday.

The City Council last month enacted an ordinance detailing the new inspection program.

Councilman Tim Porch welcomed the program. Porch, a former mayor, said the goal is to eliminate substandard housing in the Scott County community of close to 5,000 people.

Scott City developer and landlord Monty W. Keesee supports the inspection program, too.

"I think it is a good thing," said Keesee, who owns multiple rental units and is developing rental housing for retirees.

He said it will result in "better living standards" for Scott City residents. "It helps with property standards," he added. "It is a win-win for everybody."

It ensures safe rental housing, he said. In addition, landlords would benefit from higher rents upgraded rental housing would bring, Keesee said.

Scott City has more than 780 rental properties, according to city officials.

Porch said inspections will ensure rental housing meets minimum safety standards.

"It protects everybody in the end," he said, adding the regulations will be good for renters, landlords, adjacent property owners and the city as a whole.

"We have a simple checklist," Porch said. The list covers everything from windows to water heaters, electrical switches to smoke detectors.

City officials first proposed a rental inspection program seven or eight years ago, Porch said.

The councilman said the majority of landlords support the new regulations. "It is a no-brainer from a business standpoint," Porch said.

Keesee agreed. He said only landlords of substandard housing might have concerns with the measure.

Landlords must register their occupied and vacant rental units with the city by July 1 each year. The first registration deadline is this July.

City clerk Michael Dudek said city officials are focused on getting landlords registered this summer.

Dudek said the city will have a new fire chief in place later this year. That individual will inspect the rental units.

Landlords who don't register their units will be subject to city fines.

Regular inspections will be scheduled, officials said. But the city will conduct full inspections on the basis of complaints or drive-by inspections.

Newly constructed rental units will not be subject to inspection for five years unless warranted by complaints or drive-by inspections.

A rental unit will be subject to immediate inspection when the city receives a formal complaint from a tenant alleging unsafe or unsanitary conditions, according to the ordinance.

City regulations call for every eligible rental unit to be inspected no less than once every four years.

Owners of rental housing failing inspection will have 30 days to bring the rental housing into compliance. An occupancy permit will be issued by the building inspector once the issues have been corrected.

Landlords who don't make the necessary improvements will be subject to fines, according to the ordinance. The ordinance does not list the amount of such fines.

Under the new ordinance, landlords will pay a $50 inspection fee for the first inspection. If a second inspection is needed, it will be performed at no charge to the landlord. However, if a third inspection is required to address a problem, the landlord will have to pay an additional $50 fee.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641