Politics & Government

Solon Wants to Hear from Apartment Complexes on Rental Inspections

City Council mulls letting large apartment complexes do their own inspections so long as they match the city's ordinance

Solon City Council hopes to discuss the proposed rental inspection ordinance with representatives of the city's big apartment complexes at council's June meeting.

What they want to know is whether the apartment complexes with hundreds of units – namely Liberty Hill and Solon Park – have state-certified inspectors on staff or would want to hire a private company to do the inspections instead of use city inspectors.

Some council members are intrigued by the idea – it would free up hundreds of units that city inspectors won't have to do. But others are leery about having the apartment complexes police themselves.

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"If we're asking the apartments to police themselves, what's the point of doing it?" said Ward 3 Councilwoman Toni Richmond. 

She added that if a problem were found, she thought the responsibility would always be placed on the renter if the apartment managers run the show.

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If apartments are permitted to have staff or hired inspectors, then they would be bound to follow the city's inspection program as it's outlined in the ordinance, said Planning Director Rob Frankland. 

Seeking input from apartment complexes is the latest twist in the long saga about whether Solon needs to inspect rental properties to ensure they meet health and safety standards. City officials say there are about 1,300 rental units in Solon.

The apartment complex representatives are expected to discuss the issue with council at the first meeting in June.

It may be a moot point. The city's inspections are expected to be much cheaper than a private company, so the apartments could prefer city inspectors, Frankland said.

As the proposed ordinance is written, it would cost an apartment complex $160 per unit for the first three units, and then $30 after that.

Council is considering changing that fee structure to a $75 charge per unit, regardless of how many units.

Frankland said the city's inspection prices are only enough to cover their costs, while a private company is also seeking some profit.


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