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Property Inspections-The Pros and Cons
This two part series will explore both sides of the property inspection debate. Your comments are encouraged.
Providing safe housing for tenants, preserving your investment in your property and securing the stability of neighborhoods are three goals property owners and local governments agree upon. These are also the goals most often cited as the starting point when discussing property registration and inspection programs.
According to 2008 Census Bureau estimates, Champaign County has the highest percentage of occupied rental housing units (nearly 35,300 units) among the state’s metropolitan counties. This makes the discussion about inspections even more salient. There are a lot of people of diverse ages, education levels, and socio-economic situations to protect.
The goals for inspections, as stated in a 1/17/2010 News-Gazette article, focus on protecting people by assuring properties comply with “fire safety codes as well as city and national maintenance and building codes. These codes cover issues such as lack of proper heating or hot water, roof or ceiling leaks, flooding, mold, toilet problems, broken or non-opening windows, and roach or rodent infestations.”
Responsible property owners agree with these goals. According to the IL Rental Property Owners Association (IRPOA) the major issue is that “policies to enforce property standards provide property owners the opportunity to comply and a means to challenge the legitimacy of the accused violations.” Tenant privacy is another issue.
Since 2006, both Champaign and Urbana have launched a revised rental inspection program.
Currently, Urbana and Rantoul inspect the exterior and interior of all rental units while Champaign inspects the common areas of apartment buildings with three units or more.
Have you had positive experiences as a result of property inspections? Let us know.
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Carol Timms
Overall, I view inspections as another intrusion into the private sector by unelected public sector functionaries. I have experienced gross inconsistency among agents with comparable buildings. I have always cooperated, but do we have a choice? I have also found a lack of flexibility on older structures, usually Affordable Housing, just what the City of Champaign needs more of.