Slumlords targeted by Riverside County

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Slumlords targeted by Riverside County

January 4, 2010

By DUANE W. GANG
The Press-Enterprise

Riverside County supervisors are considering a new law aimed at making landlords pay up if they don't keep their properties maintained.

The proposed ordinance -- on the Board of Supervisors' agenda for today -- would require property owners to cover a tenant's relocation expenses for up to two months if county code enforcement officers issue an eviction notice over health and safety issues.

"There are some unscrupulous landlords that let their places get so bad they are a serious hazard to live in," said Supervisor John Benoit, who along with Supervisor Marion Ashley is sponsoring the measure.

"The county is forced to force people out."

Ashley said tenants can't always afford to relocate, pay moving expenses and pay new deposits for utilities.

"They are paying their rent and doing what they are supposed to do but the place isn't being kept up," Ashley said. "The taxpayers end up footing part of the bill. That is not fair," he said. "This is trying to correct that."

Under the proposal, a property owner would:

Pay the tenant an amount equal to two months of the fair market rent for the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area, as set by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The 2010 fair market rent for the area is $1,108 per month for a two-bedroom unit.

Pay the tenant enough to cover deposits to set up electricity, gas and water service at a new residence. The county would determine the specific amount.

Return any security deposits and pay a fixed moving cost, which is set by the Federal Highway Administration.

The ordinance includes an appeal process if property owners feel they should not have to pay the costs.

Karen Fricke, executive director of the Apartment Association Greater Inland Empire, said Monday she could not comment on the proposal until studying it further.

Ashley said with the poor economy, more people are living in rental properties.

"The situation has become much worse in the last couple of years," he said.

Benoit said code enforcement officers can be in a difficult position, wanting to protect residents but reluctant to force them from their homes. The proposal is a reasonable step, he said.

According to his office, the county in the eastern Coachella Valley over the past three years has forced between 25 and 35 families from their homes because of poor conditions.

John Boyd, the county's code enforcement director, said the proposed new law would apply to all rental properties.

Code enforcement officers currently work with property owners to fix problems before they issue an eviction notice, Boyd said.

But the new measures give the county another tool, he said. Fixing problems on rental properties is an expense but could prove less than the amounts outlined in the proposal, he said.

"There was no real onus on a property owner to correct the violations," Boyd said. "This puts a penalty in place that would probably encourage them to correct the violation."