By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green’s new rental inspection program has resulted in repairs being made to many rental units across the community, according to city officials.
Though landlords aren’t required to report the items that need fixing, or proof of the repairs, city officials have heard anecdotally that the self-inspections prompted several improvements to rental housing units.
Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter reported to City Council on Monday evening that she had heard “hundreds of work orders and repairs were made,” prior to the inspection forms being submitted to the city.
Ultimately, that is the goal of the rental inspection ordinance – to improve housing conditions, Tretter said.
After the meeting, council member Jeff Dennis said he had heard similar reports.
“I’ve also heard anecdotally that some property owners have replaced dozens of fire extinguishers and many more smoke detectors as a result of these self-inspections,” Dennis said. “I’ve been more critical than anyone of self-inspection, and I continue to think there are more efficient, effective, and affordable ways to address the issue. But if this program has in fact resulted in hundreds of units being even slightly safer for tenants, that’s a great thing.”
Tretter also reported at the meeting that of the 7,317 rental units currently registered with the city, 6,964 have submitted self-inspection reports. That is more than 95%. The deadline for the reports to be submitted was Oct. 1.
The city is working with owners of the remaining 353 units to get compliance, she said. Those not complying can lose the ability to perform self-inspections of their rental housing units, Tretter explained.
She also reported that the rental registration requirement has provided the city with valuable information on rental housing units. Both the registration and inspection programs will continue to be improved for efficiency and efficacy.
“This will always be a work in process,” Tretter said.
City Council recently set one of its top priorities for 2025 as evaluating the effectiveness of the new rental registration and inspection program.
“The anecdotal evidence we’ve heard sounds promising, but because the property owner corrects any problems before submission to the city, anecdotal evidence is all we have, Dennis said.
“The rate of compliance on a self-inspection doesn’t tell you much without an independent audit. And a system that relies on tenants to report issues before an audit is triggered will guarantee that the most serious issues that are affecting those with the fewest options will go unreported and unaddressed,” he added.
“I continue to worry that we’ve created a large bureaucracy that is resulting in higher housing costs without targeting the relatively small percentage of properties that are not meeting basic health and safety standards,” Dennis said. “That’s negatively impacting tenants and property owners who are trying to do the right thing and giving an advantage to those who aren’t.”
