City Grapples with Problem of Absentee Landlords

CITY GRAPPLES WITH PROBLEM OF ABSENTEE LANDLORDS

A third of the violent crime at apartment complexes in Charlotte, North Carolina, occurs in a handful of facilities owned by hard-to-reach, out-of-state “absentee” landlords. The Charlotte police say this makes their work difficult.

As a result, Charlotte’s city council is drafting an ordinance to create a landlord registry in a new database. The proposal is running into resistance. Like many cities, Charlotte is strapped for revenue and some opponents complain that creating and maintaining an absentee landlord database will add to the city’s budget woes.

The Charlotte Landlord Association is fighting the proposed ordinance, arguing that most property managers are responsible and don’t need more government regulations.

Under the proposal from the police department, landlords would have operating permits which could be revoked if they fail to address police problems at their facilities.