Last year Overland Park officials investigated 844 code violations on rental properties. Now, a new Rental Licensing Task Force is being proposed.
This would include mandatory exterior inspections on rental properties every two years.
Real estate agent turned landlord Marilyn Dugan says she sat on a city task force to clean up rentals in 2007. She says she saw little changes.
“I believe they felt like they were left with a program that didn’t have much teeth and that they couldn’t really impose much upon bad landlords and that’s why they are taking this step,” said Dugan.
The 2007 program was designed to make sure all landlords register with the city and pay a $5 fee per unit. This only included single family through triplex rental units.
The new proposed program would apply to all rentals. The first year would focus on getting landlords to register, which includes a 60 dollar yearly fee.
City officials say the fee would be used to conduct exterior inspections, with half of rental properties undergoing inspection in year two, and another in year three.
This would not include an interior inspection of the home, only exterior.
The city conducts interior inspections on a complaint basis.
“I think it would help maintain the buildings are give the renters piece of mind that their property is being taken care of and they are not being forgotten about,” said first time home owner Jason Spilker.
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Ali Hoxie can be reached at ali.hoxie@kshb.com.
