In an effort to crack down subpar rental housing and slumlords, Louisville Metro will soon require owners of rental properties to register with the city. Code Enforcement officers will also perform proactive inspections.
Metro Council approved sweeping changes to its little-used rental housing registry Thursday night, offering more incentives for landlords to file with the city. Supporters of the legislation also argued that making the registry public, along with the names and contact information of property owners, will allow tenants and neighbors to hold landlords accountable for properly maintaining their properties.
District 12 Council Member Rick Blackwell was one of the primary sponsors of the ordinance, alongside Democratic colleagues Keisha Dorsey, Jecorey Arthur and Nicole George.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, Blackwell said bars, restaurants and retail businesses are already required to register with the city and submit to inspections for code violations. He said rental properties, which are also operated as businesses, should be no different.
“People need to be able to go to a business and say, ‘Hey, your business is not being kept up,’” Blackwell said. “Anywhere in the city, if you’ve got an issue with a business, you can get a hold of an owner … That’s not been the case with these businesses we have in people’s neighborhoods.”
The legislation, which underwent at least ten revisions over six months before its final passage, was not without opposition. Some Metro Council members and landlords argued the new regulations will burden property owners who try to do right by their tenants.
‘Some sort of change is coming’
In an interview, District 4 Council Member Jecorey Arthur recounted the issues he’s seen inside public housing developments in his district. Arthur represents residents of Louisville’s central business district, as well as the NuLu, Russell and Butchertown neighborhoods.
“Black mold in people’s kitchens. Ceilings caving in. Roaches crawling on