Tenant Registry

[iwasthere]

towntalk the onlty ones that are bucking at thier knees are tito brown and kitchen.

[Towntalk]

So where do the other six stand?

[jay]

One Youngstown councilman is in support of a tenant registry.

[AllanY2525]

Hey folks,


Sorry I've taken so long to post a reply on this thread... my new job has a very demanding
schedule.  Here is a link to the Montgomery County, MD division of Tenant-Landlord affairs:


http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dhctmpl.asp?url=/content/DHCA/housing/landload_T/landload_t.asp


There is a lot of good, useful information that could(?) be applied to Youngstown/Mahoning County.

I have not had a chance to find the registry - it's been a long time, and it may have been changed, moved,
etc.  The whole point I've been emphasizing, however, is that Youngstown needs to get more stuff on
the Internet, where both landlords and tenants can read it and know their rights under the law, the rules
and regulations governing BOTH tenants and landlords, etc.

If Youngstown wants to make it's neighborhoods better, the process begins with better tenants and
landlords - and making BOTH "hold up their end of the deal".

I, personally, am not in favor of making every single tenant sign up for some kind of registry - only for
keeping track of bad tenants - and bad landlords too.  Since court cases and their disposition are public
records, there are no privacy issues in dealing with something like this - if the information in such a
system were to be made available via the internet.

Landlords and tenants both need to made aware of the fact that their (bad) acts are "out there" for
others to see, and that word DOES "get around".

Hope this link is helpful and provides more info to those who want to know more about how things
work here in Montgomery County....

[Towntalk]

Another serious question.

What is to prevent this bad tenant registry to spin out of control with City Council forcing the registry of all renters to be registered and subject to an annual fee and inspections including those senior citizens living in the downtown high rises?

[iwasthere]

I AGREE REPORT THE BAD TENANTS WITH THE SLUMLORDS TOO.

[Youngstownshrimp]

130 hits here tells me that we have a community conversation and we need to take it to the action level.  Should I contact the Mahoning Valley Real Estate Investors assoc.?  They will invite us to speak to their organization about this,  we certainly have done some good research here, Jay?

[Towntalk]

Jay said:
"The registry should be a list of only the bad tenants whose behavior has caused damage to a landlords property and whose behavior has disrupted the tranquility of the neighborhood in which they have previously lived."

Now I could agree with that. I live in a stable neighborhood, and have lived here for 30 years, and wouldn't want some troublemaking folks moving in, but then they couldn't if they wanted to, all the vacent houses have been demolished.

[jay]

I hope Allan will be able to give us the answers to all of your questions.

The registry should be a list of only the bad tenants whose behavior has caused damage to a landlords property and whose behavior has disrupted the tranquility of the neighborhood in which they have previously lived.

[Youngstownshrimp]

People,  The legal process for tenant registration is already in place.  They are  called the tenant and landlord laws that have been in place for a long time.  Sadly, post industrial municipalities will not enforce them, there are more voting tenants than landlords.  Not being a lawyer, I will explain them as a layperson.

When A landlord and tenant enter into a lease, the house is generally agreed at that time to be up to code by both parties.  From then on for the duration of the lease, the tenant has what you call "possession" of the premises and is responsible for all damages other than "wear-and-tear."  Obviously, the electric, plumbing, heating and roof are the responsibility of the landlord.  In Youngstown, if a problem exist with a domicile other than wear and tear, the landlord is always hauled into court and the City's position is the buck stops with the landlord.  This is why very few investors of residential real estate remain in the City.  And the result is what we see in the value of our housing stock and the abandoned landscape of the City.  This will and has never changed for the last 40 years in YTown and it has only gotten worse.

Jay, your idea is right on but you can't fight City hall and a tenant registry will only be a dream unless we change the outdated Mayoral and council system and replace it with a private run City government.  Otherwise the politicians will always buy the tenants votes by abusing the real estate investor.

[Towntalk]

Set of forms that would aid landlords screen out undesirables:

http://www.graffrealty.com/downloads/RENTAL-APPLICATION.PDF

http://www.graffrealty.com/downloads/Disclosure%20and%20Authorization-English.pdf

http://www.graffrealty.com/downloads/FCRA%20Summary.pdf

http://www.graffrealty.com/downloads/Employment_Verification.pdf

http://www.graffrealty.com/downloads/Rental_Verification.pdf

[Towntalk]

Again I must ask who will determine who will be on this registry ... who will have access to the information ... how much information will be in the files?

Will all the folks living in the downtown High Rises be forced to register?

Will every single renter in Youngstown be forced to register?

Jay, for once be specific on exactly how this registry would be compiled so far as you are concerned, and who exactly would have access to the information!!!!!!!

Will the next step be for every renter to have a tatoo number on their arm?

To be sure there are folks that are bad renters, and there should be a way for landlords to be able to refuse to rent to them, but there are specific federal laws that say that landlords can not discriminate in renting, so how are you going to develop a registry that does not fly in the face of federal law? Any local registry law would be struck down in federal court if someone wanted to test it.

[jay]

If Forum members who are city residents keep responding favorably to this idea, it might be time to ask our councilmen to enact a tenant registry.

[Youngstownshrimp]

This is good, it is about time we hold the tenants responsible for their actions.  Unfortunately, the ruling class needs their organized votes so don't expect the municipality to ride hard on them like the landlords.

[Towntalk]

IF, this registry were done in the following manner I might be in favor of it.

1. It was based on reports from landlords.
2. These reports contained only basic need to know information.
3. The reports were made only to certified landlords who would have to apply for the information in person.
4. No printouts or copies made of the reports could be taken from the office.
5. No on-line database, no information over the phone.
6. A fee for each report.