For almost seven years, Eugene renters — whether they were aware of it or not — have had extra protection. The Eugene City Council implemented a policy stating all landlords must pay a $10 annual fee on all rental units to pay for the inspectors who may be required to come in and investigate a complaint a tenant has made that has not been rectified by the landlord. Subsequently, the city can both force landlords to repair the issue and dole out fines if those repairs do not happen.
Those in favor of letting the law expire at the end of the year (read: landlords) claim that inspectors aren’t used enough to justify the costs they incur.
Which, to some extent, is valid. Currently, there are about 25 cases a year that require an inspector to be called out and check on a complaint.@@$10 is pennies compared to the benefit the renters receive@@ Considering that nearly half of all Eugene properties are rentals, it’s a quite low number. And by next June, the program is expected to have a surplus of $180,000@@get the word out to the renters@@.
But the city inspectors and support staff also take around 1,000 calls each year from renters and landlords alike with questions or complaints. This provides assistance for everybody who has questions about their current situation. This is especially helpful for most students who are new to renting and may be unsure on how to go about things.
Furthermore, this assistance can lead to conclusions that leave both the landlord and tenant feeling satisfied, as mediation is the most common form of conflict resolution that takes place. And neither party endures the time and money commitment that is small-claims court. As someone who has had the displeasure of doing such a thing, I can wholeheartedly say that having any support system in place to aid with such a matter is welcome.
As renters and students, we are already at a disadvantage when it comes to housing, what is available to us and for what price. To be further hamstrung would be adding insult to injury. This safeguard is doing what it is supposed to do by maintaining a minimum standard for housing@@thank you@@. So, whilst @@whilst – I like that @@there have been few cases where inspectors were actually needed to resolve an issue, it is proof that there are issues needing to be resolved.
Unfortunately, we also cannot trust that our landlord is going to take care of absolutely everything and get something fixed right away or at all. If I got into a disagreement with my landlord, I’d sure want to have some authority to assist in the resolution process and know that it will get resolved, one way or another.
It is also worth mentioning that with such a code in place, it makes landlords much more aware of the repercussions for failing to make timely repairs. Four fines have been issued since 2005, totaling $5,840, an average of $1,460 a fine. I don’t know many people, landlord or not, who wish to cough up $1,400 for anything, much less for a fine.
Should some revisions be made? Sure. Perhaps the fee could be less all around, or based on the number of properties or units a landlord has. Plus, it’s clear that a majority of landlords hold up their end of the contract and take care of repair issues fairly well. @@“more” protection? I wonder about eliminating this word.@@In this instance, protection is not such a bad thing, at least for the time being@@at least for the time being? Like these landlords will all of a sudden get soft hearts? All of them: mean! MEAN! I tell you!@@.
