Excerpts from Richmond Times Dispatch article:
The city of Richmond is considering the creation an inspection program for rental properties in old areas of the city, a policy that could have a major impact on the 56 percent of city housing occupied by renters.
The rental inspections would apply in special districts created by the city with a high volume of renters and a risk of blight. As envisioned, the program would focus on student-heavy historic neighborhoods such as the Fan District, Oregon Hill, Jackson Ward and Carver, but the exact districts would be drawn later by city officials.Landlords would likely have to pay a fee for each dwelling unit, but the precise dollar amount won’t be known until the city decides to move forward with an ordinance to start the program.
“This program will allow the city to work with property owners to make sure that that old housing is maintained at a higher level so that we don’t have additional blight coming through,” 5th District City Councilman Parker C. Agelasto said.
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A survey conducted by the Virginia Municipal League last year found that 22 Virginia localities have rental inspection programs, including Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights, Virginia Beach, Hampton, Williamsburg, Lynchburg, Roanoke and Fredericksburg.
Agelasto explained the idea Tuesday at a meeting of the council’s Land Use, Housing and Transportation Committee. He characterized it as a way to protect renters from landlords who are reluctant to spend money to keep up their properties.
“The combination of old housing and young renters can sometimes be a recipe for disaster,” Agelasto said. Having working smoke alarms, he added, is important “when you live in a 100-year-old, wood-clapboard house.”
