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Sarasota Herald Tribune Editorial - Substandard standards
Tue, 2005-12-27 17:52 — joemoraca
I agree... I spoke at this meeting and think that this editorial is pretty much on target. Thanks editorial page editors...
If we all know there are 5-10 "slum lords" we need to focus on them . There have to be some ways to make it very unpleasant to operate. I will give up code enforcement in my area one or two day s a week to help out with the extra work...
Substandard standards
Sarasota needs new ways to improve rental housing
Foul, overcrowded rental housing presents a danger to tenants and to neighborhoods. It also poses a code enforcement challenge -- one that Sarasota city commissioners have begun to address.
At a workshop this month, the commissioners directed their staff to explore stronger regulation, and asked for clearer data to determine where the worst problems are occurring.
Those are reasonable steps that, we hope, will lead to effective solutions. Getting specifics will allow the city to focus efforts where they are most needed. It will also help to alleviate a data gap that has slowed progress on this issue. While there are anecdotal reports of serious substandard-rental problems in some neighborhoods -- Mayor Mary Anne Servian told commissioners she'd been inside Park-East neighborhood dwellings that weren't fit for animals -- code enforcers contend that most violations concern nuisances rather than health and safety threats. It's important to resolve those differing perceptions with accuracy.
Many observers agree that the most serious violations stem from just a small percentage of landlords. To bring them in line, commissioners are looking for regulations with more "teeth" -- such as housing conservation districts (which step up code enforcement in specific areas) and inspection warrants (which grant inspectors interior access to problem homes).
The city must be careful not to penalize good landlords with the bad. A broad-brush approach could discourage the rental market, which is an important source of affordable housing.
Comments
We need more homeowners, not more landlords
An awful lot of real estate investors in the Sarasota/Bradenton area seem to be having cash flow problems. Most of them were okay with that when it looked like housing prices, already past the moon, were heading for intergalactic space.
Now, with the number of homes on the market shooting up, and sales dropping like mobile home carports in a hurricane, a lot of them are going to be forced to sell. This will depress the market further, which will force even more to sell.
End result = bad news for those who hoped to make big $$ as property speculators, but great news for actual working people who have been priced out of the housing market
Just think how nice it would be for those of us who live in neighborhoods ruined by speculators to have a lot of modest houses go to auction at prices cops, teachers, and even retail workers could afford!
This is just a dream today, but stranger things have happened....
Sarasota Housing
Thanks for the nice comment on my blog Tampa Taxi Shots. The reason I posted your blog feed was I used to live in Sarasota for 10 years when I worked for the Herald Tribune in the photo dept.
I was looking for one of the better blogs for Sarasota and found yours off of Sticks of Fire.com.
Whe I lived there I don't seem to remember a lot of slum or substandard housing. There was some off the north trail behind the down in the heal hotels that where starting to get seady. And that was 15 years ago!
Is there still the "new town" area. I suggest that is where the slum holes and democratic party voters live in the County.
anyway, thanks and I'll keep reading your blog
Substandard Standards
I agree there should be some minimal operating standards that landlords are required to maintain. However, let me suggest that this problem may grow worse as Sarasota housing-related costs continue to escalate.
I have a very modest rental property that is currently generating a negative cash flow of about $1,000 a month. Two years ago, it was a breakeven. However, without a homestead exemption my property taxes are increasing 20% annually. And with hurricanes hitting every part of Florida, my property insurance is increasing at 25% annually. At this rate, it will be $2,000/month negative by next year.
The only reason I haven't dumped the property is because, to this point, it appeared that appreciation would still make it a good long-term investment. With a softening market, that might no longer be a valid working assumption.
I try to be a good landlord despite losing money. If I sell, the next owner is either going to cut corners on maintenance or push this little house out of the "affordable" category by raising the rent.
Yes, something needs to be done to hold the landlords' feet to the fire. But someone also needs to be looking at what can be done to moderate landlord cost increases as well.