Craig Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
"The best place to start an education component for landlords it MMHA. Or
Minnesota Multihousing Association."
In fact, if all owners followed the lead of the MMHA, with its airtight
leases, application forms, advice on background checks, etc., we would have
no need for rental property licensing.
"CCP SAFE's classes have been OK. But the attendance wasn't what they were
hoping for. The other problem with CCP SAFE is that they have the wrong
people doing the class work. They have code ENFORCERS, Police Officials,
doing the class works."
I'm not sure which of our Rental Property Owners Workshops Mr. Miller has
been to, but the ones I've been involved with have always included
non-police folks such as Section 8 program administrators, background check
agencies, MCDA officials talking about funds available for rehab, --yes,
even MMHA.
Yes, we facilitate such workshops because our unit is responsible for
enforcing the section of rental licensing concerned with "conduct on the
premises," i.e., criminal activity. Would Mr. Miller like us to censor that
information? It would mean many more owners losing their license than the
under 1/10 of a percent who have so far in the decade licensing has been
around. Further, would Mr. Miller ask us to refrain from having Inspections
speak to the issues of building codes and their authority? Wow, these are
the people the owners are most likely to interact with from the city and I'm
sorry to read Mr. Miller asserting that these are the "wrong people doing
the class work."
Mr. Miller is correct in that attendance wasn't what we have been hoping
for. This is a matter of leading a horse to water, but some choose not to
drink. One good reason for owners to attend: Recent changes in rental
licensing where, if an owner loses two licenses in a year, the owner may
have all r.p. licenses revoked. Given a lot of turnover in rental property
ownership, I am amazed at how many have bought properties but hadn't a clue
as to the requirement to be licensed. We send our invites to owners that
have applied or have current licenses; unfortunately those who are ignorant
of the requirements or are trying to evade the law, don't get that invite
until they've been dinged.
"CCPSafe also have given over generous amounts of time to what most
landlords would call tenant activism."
If by activism Mr. Miller means, Apartment Clubs where tenants look out for
each other, know when to call 911, and can recognize criminal behavior,
well, we make no apologies for this. In the apartments where I've
doorknocked for apartment club leaders, I can't recall any where we didn't
have the explicit help and endorsement from the owners or property managers.
In many cases we have doorknocked side by side with the owners or
caretakers.
In fact, I recall one owner who didn't want us doorknocking until one of his
tenants was raided and found to have felony warrant out of Texas. Not
knowing how to answer his tenants questions about that ruckus, he relented
and to his amazement, our doorknocking didn't lose him tenants nor turn the
resulting meeting into an anti-owner session.
"CCP SAFE wants to mold their perfect landlord."
No Sir, we simply want landlords to manage their properties to the best of
their professional ability insofar as, if it is run professionally, the
community will not be victimized by the criminal activity that often
accompanies poorly managed buildings. Where criminal activity occurs and it
could have been prevented with the owners' actions, but wasn't prevented, we
enter the picture through rental licensing. Mr. Miller, who are the "right
people" to get that point across? In Minneapolis, I submit, it's the
"enforcers" who want to work with owners rather than against them, but are
obligated to take the latter course in egregious cases.
Luther Krueger 673-2923 mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(Lyndale 8th Ward)
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