(The Center Square) – Next week, Springfield voters will choose whether to accept or deny a ballot question guiding the city on creating a landlord registry across the capital city.
A proposal, backed by many community groups, seeks to create a registry as increasing complaints of single-family and multi-unit rental properties have gone unmaintained or repaired and have created dangerous living conditions for renters, all while non-responding property owners can sometimes remain unknown to tenants of their LLC.
Many across the city, such as Springfield Area Landlord Association President Tony Nudo, say a vote yes for the registry will drive up rent and raise taxes for residents because a required landlord registry could have a cost per unit each time a property owner has to register.
“They say we need to know who the owners are. But the city knows. All you have to do is send a letter to where the current tax uh bill goes. You’re going to get a hold of the owner or the owner’s representative,” Nudo said to the council in September. “The argument for landlord registration is a punitive and discriminatory one made by people who just don’t like rental property owners.”
But the citywide ballot referendum is non-binding, meaning the Springfield City Council will use its results as a gauge of public interest in creating a registry, and there is no language in place for what, if any, fees would be put in place, according to Alderman Roy Williams Jr.
“The only thing I want to ask you to do is to be careful with what you are putting out as facts when nothing exists yet. The sessions haven’t started. The landlords and tenants sessions where they’re going to develop the language,” Williams said.
Last year, the council narrowly rejected an ordinance that would’ve created a registry and required semi-regular inspections of units, while imposing fees per property or unit, over issues that it would create too many new costs for the city in hiring inspection staff.
Instead the city imposed a “problem property” ordinance, which created more enforcement and required registration and inspection with the city if it receives three or more city code violations in a 12-month period.
Alderman Shawn Gregory argued at a recent council meeting that while the previous ordinance has made some impact in creating accountability, it doesn’t mean properties are being taken care of.
“The problem is them fixing it in a timely manner. Whether it’s mold or whether they think it’s mold, the health department comes over, tests them, whatever the case may be, holes in a roof, etc. They don’t fix them in a timely manner,” Gregory said.
An 85 mile driveeastis an example of how the proposed registry could end up, as the city of Champaign passed its own ordinance for a rental registry in April.
After input from opponents to the ordinance in the area, such as Illinois Realtors Government Affairs Director Nash Oldenettel, the proposed ordinance was changed to not include any registration fee.
“Through years of advocacy, Champaign recognizes the importance of aligning housing affordability with new regulations. Through stakeholder input, both of these registrations did not have fees or inspections tied to them, keeping them clean, owner friendly, and most importantly, adds no additional cost to owners and tenants,” Oldenettel said in April.
A similar statewide piece of legislation was also introduced in the General Assembly by Sen. Doris Turner, a Democrat representing Springfield.
