Sarasota Livin'

Thank you Sarasota Herald Tribune Editorial Board.

Today's editorial "Living up to Code" is something that the Coalition of City Neighborhoods (CCNA) strongly supports. We have tried to work with the Sarasota Landlord Association without much luck. We have discussed with St Pete how their program works and think it is a good program. The neighborhoods are ready to support the funding that will pay for this program (which should be self supporting with very minimal fees).

Landlords run businesses. They should have a business license and the owners (or their rep) contact information available for each rental unit (not just a PO Box in Ohio). I would be happy to see some level of inspection program instituted. This will not seem fair to the good landlords but it is important due to the "slumlords" that take advantage of their tenants.

We should not have 10 or more people living in a single substandard housing unit - with one bathroom.... while a landlord waits for "gentrification" to come along and provide enough profit for someone to tear down and start over...

PS Even St Armands has landlord problems-- illegal short term rentals turn single family homes into party palaces during the "season"

Lets make sure the Sarasota Public Housing Authority is not exempt.

Living up to code

Like a cancer, persistent code violations wreak slow destruction on neighborhoods.

Left unchecked, they undermine the stock of affordable housing, inviting its eventual demolition. They tip neighborhoods toward decline and disinvestment, distort rent prices, and trap families in substandard conditions.
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Greater urgency is needed

It is time to attack this problem with greater urgency. More code enforcement resources are needed. New regulatory tools -- such as a rental certification program -- should be considered as well.

Many landlords are opposed to that idea, worried that government will inflict added costs and complicate the already difficult task of running good rental housing.

It's important to listen to their concerns, but the status quo is unacceptable. It allows irresponsible landlords to exploit the system, profiting handsomely as they harm not only tenants and neighborhoods but other landlords who play by the rules.

We believe a rental certification program -- scheduled inspections to determine whether a home is fit for occupancy -- could be a great step forward. It would provide vital leverage against abusive practices that threaten health and safety and harm the area's rental market. It would reduce points of conflict between tenant and landlord. And it would help preserve existing affordable housing.
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communities such as Hillsborough County, Tampa and St. Petersburg now have these programs, tailored to local needs.