Hobart will look at rental inspections

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Updated: March 18, 2012 8:16AM

HOBART — The City Council is considering adopting a rental housing ordinance, which members say would protect the health and welfare of renters and ensure proper maintenance of the buildings.

The council’s Ordinance Committee on Wednesday discussed having regular inspections of rental units done on a bi-annual or every third year basis, as well as complaint-driven visits.

Members agreed the inspection fees should be nominal for landlords and building management companies, with the possibility of no fee imposed at all at first. The harsher fees would be charged for noncompliance, they said.

“The key is this is for safety. We’re not trying to generate money,” said Mayor Brian Snedecor, who suggested the fee be waived for the first year.

Councilman Jerry Herzog, D-1st, chairman of the committee, said the city has had problems with some landlords renting houses and not taking care of them until they’re no longer livable. He said the owners then walk away from the houses, leaving the city with the cost of tearing down the unsafe buildings at costs ranging from $5,000 to $17,000.

Councilman Dave Vinzant, D-4th, said the inspection should be a simple process that would take no more than 10 minutes, much like business inspections.

“There should be five or six quick items. Do you smell gas? That’s a problem. Are there bare wires? That’s an electrical problem. Is the place habitable? We don’t want people living in substandard places,” Vinzant said.

Councilman Pete Mendez, D-2nd, said he was made aware of a problem in his district where the renters had no heat for a while during the cold months. He said there was also a mold problem and, he felt, too many people living in the small apartment. He said the draft of the ordinance that was given to council members would take care of the heat and mold problems.

But Councilman P. Lino Maggio, D-3rd, wondered if the city should set a limit on the number of unrelated adults living in one house. He gave the scenario of five college students moving into one house.

“If the house is big enough, why can’t they rent it?” he asked. “What business is it of ours who is related and unrelated?”

The council is going to continue to look at similar ordinances in other communities, work up numbers for possible fees and will discuss the matter further at a March 21 Ordinance Committee meeting.