Wednesday, February 8, 2012

New Rental Inspection Regime Portends Good News for our Neighborhood



Old West Durham has a lot of things going for it: location, diversity along both socioeconomic and racial lines, strong neighborhood organization, vibrant urban infrastructure, Ninth Street Shopping District, etc. Most of these traits are uncontroversially positive. But another important feature of this neighborhood -- high prevalence of rental housing, which by by some estimates is as high as 50% -- is more debatable. Some would argue (and I include myself in this group) that rental housing that is well maintained and managed brings vitality and new blood to the neighborhood, which is a good thing. Some recent research studies back-up this conclusion, at least insofar as high-density urban housing is concerned. Still others may argue that high proportion of rental housing depresses housing values, reduces the neighbors' stake in the longevity of their neighborhood and increase crime.

Regardless where you stand on this issue, the new rental inspection proposal currently considered by the City Council is unquestionably a positive development.  The "Probative Inspection Program" will switch housing-code inspections of rental property "to proactively identify rental housing that does not meet [housing code]" by introducing proactive inspections instead of the past practice of inspecting properties only if someone complains. The new regiment will institute period inspections of all properties where "there is a probable cause to believe that unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise hazardous or unlawful conditions may exist at a residential building or structure."

Take a look at the proposal here.

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