Public speakers urge pause on Independence RentalReady changes; ordinance receives first reading

The Independence City Council on Jan. 6 heard multiple public comments urging a pause and more tenant input on proposed amendments to the city’s RentalReady program and the landlord-tenant code.

Brent Schottenmeier, a resident of Independence, told the council that, since RentalReady’s adoption in 2017, “there is little oversight, transparency, or accountability with respect to city required inspections of rental properties.” He said one private inspection firm “could not provide documentation of the Independence Towers inspection” and reported his analysis showing that the firm performed 54.7% of the city’s rental inspections in the most recent year.

Why it matters: the proposed changes would alter how rental inspections are performed and enforced and include operational changes such as tying a landlord’s business license to utility activation for tenants. Public speakers said that, because Independence has roughly 42,000 renters, changes to inspection processes and enforcement could have broad effects on housing stability and reporting incentives.

Ally White, a mortgage holder and a leader with the Eastern Jackson County Tenant Union, asked the council to “pause the process of these amendments for 30 days to allow for meaningful…