ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 10, 1996 TAG: 9602120027
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI STAFF WRITER
NOTE: Above
A PROPOSED LAW would help Roanoke city's building inspectors discover code violations, officials say.
Roanoke city officials took a major step toward establishing a rental inspection program Friday, confirming they have a plan but are still fiddling with details.
City officials said a draft of the program will be available next Friday. A community workshop is scheduled for March 7 to review the proposal.
"This is the skeleton of the program and a little bit of the muscle," said Dan Pollock, Roanoke's housing development coordinator and a representative of the task force that developed the draft.
"We've got the form, but we don't have the level of detail," he said. "But it would have been presumptuous for us to have gone that far. ... If we had, it would have been hard to convince anyone that it wasn't a done deal."
Officials began talking seriously about a rental inspection program in January 1995 after a state law gave cities the power to inspect rental properties within designated areas before they are rerented.
Since then, officials have attempted to balance the concerns of landlords with those of tenants, as well as consider what is practical and feasible for city inspectors.
Currently, city inspectors can look at a rental unit only if a landlord or tenant requests an inspection.
Last July, officials conducted a public workshop to gather information about what should be included in an inspection plan. Four months later, about 70 landlords formed Roanoke Property Investors Association and argued that an inspection program would increase property taxes and homelessness.
A fire that killed five people in a Southeast Roanoke house last month focused attention on who is looking out for tenants' safety. Fire investigators discovered several city code violations in the house, including the apparent lack of smoke detectors.
But city officials say even if an inspection program had been implemented sooner, it would not have affected that rental unit. The law that allows Roanoke to develop a plan went into effect after the family had moved into that house, said city spokeswoman Michelle Bono.
City officials would not discuss specifics of the plan. But according to Pollock, the proposal will address how often inspections should be done, how quickly they can be done, how to handle a building with frequent tenant turnover, fee structure for inspections, and how to deal with property owners who do not comply with the program.
City officials expect the program to be brought before City Council in April, the same month council begins reviewing next year's budget.
"There's no way to implement this without finding some additional resources," Bono said.
That could mean adding more building inspectors or eliminating some of their current responsibilities, she added.
Most City Council members agree that a rental inspection program is imperative for the city, where an estimated 4 percent of rental units are considered substandard.
The inspection is to ensure the safety of tenants by checking wiring, plumbing and structural condition.
"I think part of our responsibility is to make sure ... that the most fragile part of our community is taken care of," said Councilwoman Linda Wyatt, a teacher who said she has seen how difficult it is for children who live in less than safe conditions.
"The majority of people in that type of housing are old people on a fixed income, young mothers or parents working at minimum-wage jobs," she said. "If we can't take care of those people, that's a pretty heavy indictment against this city."
Wyatt emphasized that reputable landlords would not be hurt with this inspection policy.
"I'm a small-business person," said Councilman William White, an accountant. "I think the government shouldn't overburden the small-business people so they can't make a return on their investment. ... [but] in this situation, we probably need it because properties are not being kept up."
The plan calls for gradual implementation. Eleven inner-city neighborhoods - from the boundary with Vinton on the east, west to Lafayette Boulevard and 24th Street, and south to the Roanoke River - are eligible under state law for the program. That area includes about 5,500 rental units.
If tenants think they are living in unsafe conditions now, Bono said, they should call the Roanoke Building Inspections office to file a complaint.
"All it takes is an invitation" for an inspector to look at a rental unit, she said.
The Roanoke Building Inspections Office can be reached at 853-1208.
What happens next
City officials will hold a community workshop on the proposed rental inspection plan at 7 p.m. March 7 at the Roanoke Civic Center Exhibition Hall. The plan probably will be brought before City Council in April.
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