Crowley council urged to adopt rental-registration ordinance after fatal rental fires; city staff to draft proposal for July discussion

A Crowley resident told the city council that repeated fatal fires in rental homes show the city needs a rental-registration ordinance and stronger code enforcement. Theresa Richard, who gave multiple examples from past local fires, asked the council to “Please send a rental registration ordinance to the full council for introduction and begin the process of adoption.”

City inspector Tony Duhan presented a draft rental-registration ordinance and a registration form the city has prepared, which he described as a “Healthy Homes” program aimed at preventing dwellings from deteriorating into blight. “The proposed ordinance serves 2 purposes. 1, to protect the health, safety, and welfare of our community by ensuring all residents of Crowley have access to safe and habitable housing. And 2, to prevent rental dwellings from deteriorating into blight through proactive standards and oversight,” Duhan said.

The draft would require rental property registration, set proactive standards for habitability and safety, and provide a channel for tenants to report violations. Duhan told the committee he will place the draft on the July agenda and requested feedback then.

Council members and staff discussed options for mandatory maintenance standards and enforcement tools, including the International Property Maintenance Code as a model. Several council members cautioned that any new rule must be enforceable and should avoid unintended burdens on property owners who already maintain their properties. Mayor Montso said the proposal, as she envisions it, would not impose new registration fees but would focus on accountability: “This is an accountability process.”

Theresa Richard made the public-safety case in emotional terms: she cited several past deaths in rental fires where working smoke detectors were not present and said Crowley’s fire-death rate was “more than 3 times the national average.” The committee did not vote on an ordinance; staff will circulate the draft and bring it back for discussion in July.

The discussion also touched on longer-term code-enforcement work by the city, including ongoing demolitions and tall-grass abatements, and the possibility of adopting model property-maintenance language tailored to Crowley. City officials said they will provide a revised draft and explanatory materials ahead of the July committee meeting.