Re: NCCo renters get help from county

[Guest guest]

, It is great that they are enforcing codes for the renters. Unlike most

counties, some just refuse to follow any kind of housing codes. It seems the

more you complain to a county's health department the less that gets

accomplished, like here. Keep up the good work with your endeavors, be strong.

Darlene

ldelp84227 <ldelp84227@...> wrote:

http://delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20070531/NEWS/705310370/1006/NEWS

My Local Paper, send in your comments: My comment at the bottom. at

least I have a chance to voice my opinion in my state where I lost my

health.

NCC Renters Get Help from County:

Random inspections on units begin to ensure residents live in safe,

maintained homes

By ANGIE BASIOUNY, The News Journal

Posted Thursday, May 31, 2007

In the first inspection under New Castle County's new rental code,

Barbara - tests a smoke detector in a town house at the

St. s rental complex in Bear. (Buy photo)

The News Journal/JENNIFER CORBETT

Property maintenance and housing inspector - checks off

the items she reviewed Wednesday.

(Buy photo)

The News Journal/JENNIFER CORBETT

Barbara - turned on the kitchen faucet in the immaculate

St. s town house in Bear and peered into the cabinet under the

sink.

" I'm checking the hot water to make sure it's not scalding, " -

, a New Castle County housing inspector, said Wednesday. " And

at the same time, I'm checking for leaks. "

Clipboard in hand, she went upstairs to perform the same test in the

bathroom after poking around the basement, and investigating

appliances, windows, doors, the deck and smoke detectors.

The 20-minute inspection was the first under the county's Residential

Rental Property Code, a program begun in 2005 to make sure landlords

provide a minimal standard of living for their tenants.

The code requires landlords to register their units with the county,

give tenants a guide to their rights and allow the county to conduct

random inspections.

The tenant's guide explains that residents have a legal right to

homes with running water, heat, cooking appliances, no exposed

electrical wires, no mold and no bug infestations.

The spotless town house had no trouble earning -'s seal of

approval. " Everything passed, " she said. " We're good. "

The news was gratifying for County Executive Coons, who has

spent years working to get the rental code idea off the ground.

He drafted a measure in 2003, when he was council president, but

found no support among council members. Coons tried again after being

elected to his current post, and council passed the measure in June

2005.

In the nearly two years since, employees worked with the Delaware

Apartment Association to register the 36,000 rental units in the

county.

That's part of the reason why it took so long to conduct the first

inspection, said Vince Kowal, a spokesman for the Department of Land

Use.

" It was an arduous task that took awhile, " he said. " The majority of

it was done on a voluntary basis. Then we had to go get in the

stragglers. "

Another reason for the delay is a lack of manpower in the department,

which has suffered from budget cuts.

" It has slowed things down, " Kowal said. " But people prefer we slow

things down instead of cutting the service. "

The rental code affects large apartment complexes operated by

companies as well as units owned by individuals.

St. s, a 737-unit rental community off Scotland Drive, was one

of the first properties to register with the county. Business Manager

etta Borroughs said her company believes the code is a valuable

enforcement tool.

" People deserve housing where things in it are working properly, " she

said. " We wanted to make sure the county understood that we build

quality homes and maintain quality homes. "

With rent at more than $1,000 a month, St. s isn't the kind of

community where officials would expect to find serious problems.

" That's true, " Coons acknowledged. But " we can't have a random rental

inspection procedure based on income, family status or geography. "

The program is still new, he pointed out, and the next year will be

used to gather data from the inspections.

In the future, the inspections could focus on the most problematic

segments of rental housing, Coons said. For now, the county's goal is

to inspect 5 percent, or 1,800, of the registered rentals per year.

- has a software program that picks properties at random,

then she must acquire written consent from the landlord and tenant to

enter the property. The inspections are scheduled about 45 days in

advance, which gives landlords time to correct problems. " That's a

good thing, " - said.

For more information on the program, go to www.nccdelu.org or call

395-5555.

Contact Angie Basiouny at 324-2796 or abasiouny@....

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Posted by: ldelp84227- Thu May 31, 2007 6:16 am

It is nice that the county is attempting to help renters have a safe

rental unit. I hope people are helped when something is discovered,

and they don't just condemn the place and the family is left to hurry

and get out with no place to go. I lost my health in a Delaware

apartment to indoor mold nine years ago. I had no idea there was even

a water problem. It was in the walls from water leaking in the

foundation in the basement.

I begged our government to help but they didn't, now I am still

suffering. So many calls and letters to our government, even

legislation has staggered many years and nothing has changed except

inspections now. Water leaks can ruin a life. Wonder if they ever

bothered to clean the mold where I got so ill, of course they

continued to rent to other families. The county should look at

previous complaints regarding mold and go there. And the rental was

not a cheap place to live. Unfortunately people have not been told

how dangerous mold and leaks are for a home. When there is a leak of

some kind water has to be dried behind the walls or where ever the

water damage is located and I am sure most rentals or home owners

don't bother to dry out the place entirely and then you have an

indoor mold problem. Once indoor mold starts to grow it will continue

to grow. It will eventually surface with problems when you try to

sell, it could get into the air system, or someone could develop

health problems, or it will just continue to rot and rot. Do you get

migraines when you never had them before. Or , do you have asthma or

lung problems and you never had that before or do you feel bad at

home and feel somewhat better when you leave. Sometimes you have to

investigate why you feel ill in a certain area or home. I now have

such bad asthma that everyday shampoo, fragrance, cleaning products

cause suffering so the suffering never ends. There are so many

families and children I have found on the internet so sick, insurance

won't help, people don't know what to do. And I have been working on

this for nine years, It is criminal our government has not stepped up

to the plate in this country regarding indoor air problems. At least

this new code is a start.

Posted by: soynog- Thu May 31, 2007 9:16 am

ldelp84227,

Improving mold and flood regulations would be appropriate. I had a

family member impacted by mold exposures and it's nastier than most

people realize.

Posted by: willie- Thu May 31, 2007 9:11 am

That was easier then going to the owner built home at 419 riblett

lane now owned by a contractor (Who knows better) that built a 2

story addition and who knows what other improvements without a

permit!

And issueing him another lil slap on the wrists when he should have

been jailed!

Its the County way!

Posted by: Al- Thu May 31, 2007 9:06 am

While I agreee it's a good idea to inspect rentals on a random basis,

I also question the wisdom of inspecting a luxury townhouse. What

violations do you suspect you might find in an almost brand-new

luxury townhouse that charges premium rent to live there? The

inspector wasted her time going to and from the unit as well as the

20 minutes she spent inspecting this high-end facility. I've been in

one of these townhomes and I can assure that this is the LAST place

in NCC I would have chosen to do a property inspection. I guess the

inspector doesn't want to get her hands dirty?

If you're going to inspect rental properties for violations, let's

not waste the inspector's time and the taxpayers money inspecting

luxury high-end units. Mr Coons, if you felt a need for this

department why not use it in a constructive way since we taxpayers

are already over-burdened with the escalating high cost of county

government.

Unfortunately, this seems to be the way the county sees fit to

conduct property inspections. I recall over 300 violations inthe

development of Rosegate after they did the drug sweeps there. How

long do you think it might have been since they saw fit to do any

inspections at all in that neighborhood?

Let's clean up some of these properties that really need it and worry

less about how the high-end rental businees is policing itself.

Posted by: willie- Thu May 31, 2007 9:00 am

[The code requires landlords to register their units with the county,

give tenants a guide to their rights and allow the county to conduct

random inspections]

I like the idea but the way this is laid out should not be legal!

This is forcing landlords to comply with illegal searches without a

complaint or warrant!

Can we say county gestapo! And ? Just her style!

Code enforcement will freely trespasses now and peeks into windows

and such looking for violations, this only allows them to enter!

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