The Hopkinsville City Council is working to protect renters from retaliation if they report a problem with their landlord’s property. At its meeting yesterday, the council passed the first reading of an ordinance adding a section to the basic property maintenance code.
Councilman Terry Parker says the ordinance prohibits landlords from evicting or increasing rent for tenants who make a good faith complaint to a Code Enforcement Officer.
“We’ve seen some pictures of some houses that have broken windows or the heat’s not working or they’re having issues with their water,” Parker said. “You know, there’s been several complaints like that, that the landlord is not fixing those in a timely manner and that he’s threatening to evict them if they file a complaint. So we’re just wanting to take that threat away.”
Parker says the ordinance forbids a landlord from taking any action against a tenant within six months of the completion of property repairs. He says the council hopes starting the non-retaliation period after the property has been fixed will provide more of an incentive for the landlord to complete the work in a timely fashion.
Councilwoman Patricia Bell says the ordinance is tailored to protect landlord’s rights in case of false complaints.
“I think probably 90 per cent of the landlords are doing what they’re supposed to do. But you got that 10 per cent that’s not doing it, and will not do it unless the tenants report it. You hate to penalize 90 per cent of the landlords just to get to 10 per cent. But my thing is I think if the 90 percent is doing what they’re supposed to do, they don’t have a problem,” Bell said.
The council is expected to vote on the ordinance after its second reading February 16.
