Look Out Landlords!

After four years of talking about it, the City of Savannah has a new law targeting bad landlords.

Long Time Coming

Southside Alderman Tony Thomas first proposed a law to target bad landlords back in 2004. He voiced neighbors concerns about a growing number of homes in the Windsor Forest neighborhood that had switched from owner-occupied to rentals and the property maintenance violations that were already manifest with the switch.

He never let go of the idea but there was little official movement until 2007 when the new Assistant City Manager in charge of development, Rochelle Small Toney, reported that a full 90% of the entire city’s blight problems were directly linked to rental properties.

Thomas proposed a new ordinance that would require all rental units be registered as businesses. This way, he suggested, the city could threaten to end a landlord’s ability to operate if they did not comply with blight and safety regulations. The idea brought an instant and vehement negative reaction from the real estate industry. Through months of negotiations and public meetings, the idea was refined into its current incarnation.

Read the Entire Derelict Rental Ordinance Presentation

The New Law

While it is not his original plan, Thomas approves of the new law, “I think this takes us in the right direction of what we need to do to clean up neighborhoods across Savannah,” he says. The “right direction” will place two extra layers of property maintenance enforcement above and beyond what owner-occupied property faces.

A property will be “Derelict” if a rental owner fails to comply with a Recorders Court order to clean up a violation or if the violations recur.  The designation comes with hundreds of dollars in administrative and re-inspection fees as well as a fine.

If the property remains derelict or the conditions recur, a designation of “Chronically Derelict” will mean more fines, fees and punishment.

Worst of the Worst

Derelict properties with life safety violations face a more aggressive level of penalties. Owners in violation are required to get a new certificate of occupancy, meaning new city inspections, to continue renting. They also face fresh fines for every day the life safety issue exists.

Criminal activity on the part of tenants could also trigger the derelict designation and added fines.

Thomas likes the new law, “This will be the most powerful piece of legislation that this council has passed,” he says, “It sends a clear message to the people that are violating our ordinances and tearing our neighborhoods apart.”