The Salinas City Council passed a rental registry study last week which if approved would require landlords to have their homes inspected and registered with the city.
Although the rental registry sounds good in theory since its goal is to provide renters with safer rental properties to live in, the reality is that the rental registry will come with a cost to the landlord and that cost will ultimately have to be passed down to the renters.
Setting the Groundwork for Rent Control?
As of January 2019, many cities across California including Sacramento, Santa Cruz and Fresno all have their own versions of rental registries that also require landlords to have their properties inspected annually or depending on the age of the units the landlord may be able to self-inspect their properties.
The fees for the rental registry could range from $75-$80 annually and a $50-$60 inspection fee that landlords would have to pay every 4 years.
When asked for their feedback on the rental registry, some landlords said that they felt that this program was another way for cities and states to start laying the groundwork for rent control.
Most Property Managers Already Ensure That A Property Is Safe to Live In
One of the main arguments in support of the rental registry is that it will provide tenants with confidence that their rental is safe, secure and up to code for renters to live in to live in.
What proponents of the rental registry don’t mention is that most property management companies in Salinas, CA and across Monterey County already are doing everything necessary to ensure that a rental property is safe, secure, and up to code before a tenant moves in.
If it were to be passed, a rental registry looks like it will be another form of red tape that owners and landlords will have to deal with while the cost of this program will be passed down to the renters.
Contact 36 North Property Management
To learn more about the latest issues affecting property owners in Salinas, or to speak with us about our property management services, contact 36 North Property Management by calling us at (831) 484-4604 or click here to connect with us online.