BREAD…Rises.
Last evening 11 of us from Columbus Mennonite joined a full house at City Hall for a hearing on a proposed rental registry, headed by Council Member Nick Bankston. The overwhelming majority of folks in attendance were from BREAD congregations, our interfaith organization that does advocacy for local justice issues.
Unlike our peer Ohio cities of Cincinnati and Cleveland, Columbus has no rental registry. This is a problem because (1) the city doesn’t know how many rental units there are, (2) there is no reliable contact information for owners or persons-in-charge for tenant complaints, and (3) there are no pro-active accountability structures for ongoing safety and compliance concerns.
Speakers last evening included representatives from the city Code Enforcement office, Legal Aid, Ohio State off-campus housing, and a disability advocate. All spoke in favor of the registry. I was especially impressed with Council Member Bankston who spoke passionately about housing as a human right. While advocating for tenants, he also expressed understanding and appreciation for the role of landlords.
More concrete details for turning this proposal into an ordinance will be forthcoming this fall.
Abbie and I became accidental landlords in Cincinnati in 2009 when we couldn’t find a buyer for our small house from which we were upsizing. Renting it out opened up a new venture that has been part of our lives ever since. BREAD leaders asked that I speak as a landlord during the public comments section last evening. For those who want to keep reading, here is what I said:
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My name is Joel Miller. My wife and I own three single-family rental houses in the city. I’m also a pastor of a BREAD congregation, Columbus Mennonite Church, in Clintonville.
Owning rental properties has taught me a lot about the power dynamics between property owners and tenants. I set the rental rate as the market allows and can bump it each year to keep pace with inflation. We’ve always had multiple applicants for openings, meaning I’m in the position of choosing who gets the house and who has to keep searching. When something needs fixed, from a leaky faucet to a failed AC unit, my responsiveness directly affects the quality of life of that family.
On the flip side, I’m dependent on the tenants paying rent on time to cover our bills. Their care for the property, or lack thereof, has a big impact on our expenses and workload. Also, we’ve had two different tenants leave large unpaid water bills when they moved out, which, I discovered, the city requires the landlord to pay before the next tenant can take over the water bill.
I believe there are things a city can and must do that benefit both the tenant and the property owner. This is why I’m in favor of a rental registry. With a registry, owners who want to hide, can’t, which benefits those of us who have nothing to hide. Occasional inspections ensure that tenants are living in a safe environment, and owners are made aware of any problems that may threaten the integrity of the building. A rental registry establishes a floor of basic accountability and safety, and a floor is a good thing for a house to have.
As the city seeks to better protect tenants with a rental registry, I will also make three basic requests for how you can better support landlords. I’ll keep these quick and to the point. First: I wonder if Tier 1 properties which require less administration from the city could be charged a lower annual fee, perhaps $20 rather than $40. Secondly: What’s up with landlords getting stuck with tenant’s unpaid water bills, when AEP and Columbia Gas keep those bills with the people who use the utility – the tenant? Help us out on this. Third: CMHA’s disastrous contract with CGI for administering the housing voucher program made everyone a loser. In the spirit of transparency, there is a large integrity gap to be addressed in order for landlords to trust that CMHA will be a reliable partner with section 8 housing vouchers.
In summary: Please do create this registry, and, in the spirit of transparency and accountability, please keep the city accountable to serving both tenants and landlords acting in goodwill. Thank you.
Joel