§ 50-242. Findings.

(a)

Over 88 percent of all housing stock in the city was built prior to 1990. Over 50 percent of all housing units in the city is rental properties. For such older properties, many critical components such as siding/stucco, heating and air conditioning units, roofs and windows are at or nearing their useful life. Failures of these critical components can lead to mold and other problematic issues.

(b)

Over time, rental housing can and does deteriorate because of intentional and unintentional neglect by property owners, managers and tenants. This deterioration frequently results in substandard conditions that adversely affect the economic values of neighboring properties and that may be hazardous to the public health and safety of the tenants and neighboring properties. In many cases, property owners choose not to make the necessary repairs because of cost, and tenants do not report the deficiencies out of lack of knowledge or out of concern as to retaliation.

(c)

It is in the public interest that all rental housing complies with minimum standards regarding public health and safety. The most effective way to obtain compliance with these minimum standards is through routine periodic inspections of all rental housing. Routine inspections are also important in that property owners often do not live in proximity to the rental housing which they own. Furthermore, a rental housing program that relies only on complaints, as opposed to routine inspections, will not adequately evaluate or assure compliance by all rental housing with these minimum standards. City-wide compliance will prevent blight and ensure that all persons who live in rental housing units are provided decent, safe and sanitary housing.

(Ord. No. 2018-007, § 1, 11-8-2018)