A rental inspection ordinance throughout New York state is a good step.

Too many properties have seen maintenance deferred for so long they shouldn’t be rented in their current condition. The state took the lead by requiring counties to undertake inspections, provided funding to help carry out inspections and provided some cover for the city to fairly easily implement an idea that two decades ago was dropped because there was so much community opposition.

Lead paint should have been eradicated in Jamestown decades ago. The state, city and county had to step in and inspect properties to finally be rid of lead paint once and for all. A rental inspection ordinance is easily justified simply to eradicate lead paint that is far too prevalent in Jamestown. It is also justified by the number of landlords who simply don’t invest in their properties, leaving too many people without reliable heat and water in homes that are structurally unsafe.

But no one should be under the illusion that a rental inspection ordinance means the city’s housing issues will disappear quickly. Landlords will be held accountable for the condition of their properties with inspections and certificates of occupancy, but how often will a landlord fix damage to a property by tenants before they give up and sell their properties because it costs too much to fix continual damage? Is the state going to give landlords more authority to enforce codes of conduct for renters in their properties, including the ability to quickly evict a tenant who destroys a landlord’s property? It’s quite possible that some lower echelon properties will simply be left to rot because landlords find they can’t make money on the properties because they’re continually dealing with messes created by tenants. They may fix a property once or twice before deciding enough is enough.

Rental inspection also doesn’t change the housing unaffordability crisis that is reaching many city residents. One reason homelessness is increasing is there aren’t enough affordable housing options. Part of the issue is bad housing has been demolished, creating scarcity in some areas of the housing market that is driving prices up for those who can afford it the least. As the housing supply has decreased, not enough new housing has been added to the mix to keep prices stable. Landlords now tasked with regularly fixing damage will pass those costs on to the next tenant – further increasing rents for people who are already struggling to afford housing.

A rental inspection program is necessary and, in our opinion, a good step that should have been taken years ago. But it is not a cure-all for a decades-long problem. This attempt to solve one set of problems is likely to cause another set of problems to appear – and it will be incumbent on the city, the state and housing agencies to be nimble as they try to find solutions.