HIGHLANDS TODAY (Sebring, Florida)

January 8, 2008

Avon Park Beefs Up Inspection Of Rentals

By Douglas Carman of Highlands Today

AVON PARK — The city's code enforcement office sent out 75 warnings to landlords for not holding rental permits since its enforcement began in December.

The grace period ended last month, following the city council's passing of a minimum maintenance ordinance that gave code enforcement officers the right to annually inspect homes while also requiring landlords to get an annual $37.50-per-unit permit to lease within the city.

Capt. Donald Simmons, Avon Park's head code enforcement officer, said he was going by "word of mouth" to find other landlords and rental properties in the city, since his office doesn't have an active list of residential rental properties in the city yet. His fellow officers sent the warnings so that landlords are aware of the requirement.

"This is the first year this has been done in Avon Park," Simmons said. "This is brand new. A lot of people aren't aware of it."

Before the ordinance was passed, the city's code enforcement only inspected the land and the external parts of its structures, writing warnings and citations for such matters as overgrown grass and excessive peeling paint. With the permits, the city will also begin inspecting the inside of the properties once a year.

Avon Park code enforcement officer Greg Warner said in a December interview that the officers will go by a checklist. Among other items, they check the property's smoke detectors, plumbing, running water and toilets in addition to the house's outside condition.

"It's kind of like operating a business," Warner said of the standards the city's placing on landlords through the inspections.

Century 21 agent Virginia Henderson, who until recently worked as their rental agent in Avon Park, said she had not experienced any "controversy" from the city's landlords over the ordinance.

"The landlords have been very cooperative in paying their fee and in paying for the improvements," Henderson said.

She added that she did not expect the new fee or the permits to have an impact on anyone's rent even though it adds to the landlord's cost. This is because there are a lot of vacancies in the city and landlords would price themselves out of the market if they hiked up their rents right now.

Landlord Al Smith nonetheless opposed it, suspecting the city was using it to "count Hispanics." Smith, who owns more than 15 rental properties in the city, got one of those warning letters. Code enforcement officials said he "complied" and obtained the permits after they issued him the warning.

"It's overbearing," he complained. "On top of it, they charge you a fee to come in and inspect your apartment."

Simmons denied that his and the council's intention was to target migrant workers, saying that it was designed for tenants to be able to address unsafe conditions in the properties they're renting.