Rental properties topic of city meeting

Jessica Sprowl

“Trashy” and “higher standards” were the words of choice at last night’s Board of Controls committee meeting.

Council members discussed how to properly handle neighborhood properties, rental and behavioral problems throughout the community.

“More and more houses are becoming rentals,” councilwoman Beth Oswitch said. “The whole city is having this problem.”

Oswitch said residents in her ward have been approaching her more and more about problems in their neighborhoods and are tired of looking at trashy houses around them.

Council members agreed that the problem is not just with student rental housing. It is renters and landlords all over the community who are not taking care of the rental properties, Oswitch said.

The meeting continued with how to properly handle rental properties within the community and keep neighborhoods clean.

“There is nothing wrong with renting a house,” said Rick Hawksley, councilman-at-large. “The problem is we need to raise the standards of neighborhood maintenance.”

Contact reporting public affairs reporter Jessica Sprowl at [email protected].