Interior Rental Inspctions on the August 7th Ballot in Kansas Cit

[Kim Tucker]

This is important, sorry for the links but can't see any other way to get the message across.  Any person who invests in real estate in Kansas City needs to know this information.

There is a new ordinance for Kansas City Missouri regarding licensing and interior inspections of rental property in Kansas City Missouri that will be on the ballot August 7th.. Several Landlords Groups including Landlords Inc. and Landlords of Eastern Jackson County plus several concerned Landlords and Realtors as well as the Apartment Association have been working to get the details and mount a campaign against the ordinance.

To view the ordinance Click Here

To view our set of Talking Points and FAQ’s Click Here

We need your help:

Landlords Inc published an article in their newsletter as well as voter registration forms that you can access through this link here.

Landlords Inc will be accepting contributions to help pay for the campaign to defeat the rental inspection initiative.

If you live in KCMO: You must make sure that you are registered to vote by July 11th, 2018. Encourage anyone you know that lives in Kansas City, Missouri to register as well. And please like and share our posts on social media to spread the word.

Here are some high-level talking points about this ordinance that you can use to communicate with your tenants and fellow landlords.

Rents Will Go Up

This ordinance will hurt affordable housing in Kansas City. Landlords will need to raise rents at least $15-$20 per month per property to cover the $20 annual fee and $150 inspection fee. Additional increases will be required if extensive repairs are required by the Health Department. If landlords elect not to make the repairs the tenants will be forced out of their homes.

Duplication of Regulations

This ordinance is a duplication of existing laws. KCMO currently has a structure in place through the Codes Department to allow tenants to ask inspectors to view rental properties. The inspectors can cite landlords and force them to make repairs. Simply educating tenants and landlords on the current process would accomplish the same thing as the ordinance at little or no cost.

Invasion of Privacy

This ordinance is a discriminatory invasion of privacy. The health department will send government inspectors into tenants’ homes. If a tenant refuses, the city can obtain a warrant and force the tenant to allow them in. Only tenants are subject to this invasion – homeowners do not have to have their homes inspected for health issues.

Makes the Landlords Job Harder

This ordinance interferes in the relationship between landlords and tenants. There is language in the ordinance that prohibits a landlord from evicting, raising rent or declining to renew a lease once an inspection has been done. A tenant who wants to stay in a property indefinitely at the current rent could theoretically schedule an inspection and freeze their rent and lease. This would lead to fewer landlords and higher rents.

Please take the time to register to vote and to educate your tenants. There is expected to be low voter turn out for the August election, so only a few votes could make the difference.

[Matt K.]

So much for that 4th amendment...

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides that "[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."