Richmond committee delays residential rental inspection ordinance after hours of public comment

The Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee on Tuesday heard detailed staff testimony and nearly three hours of public comment on a proposed residential rental inspection program and voted to continue the ordinance to the committee's September meeting for amendments.

Kevin J. Bonk, director for planning and development review, told the committee the ordinance would establish a city-run program to permit proactive inspections of residential rental dwelling units under authority in the Code of Virginia. "It is something that promotes safe, decent, and sanitary housing in residential rental dwelling units, in a matter consistent with law and authority set forth in, these sections of Code of Virginia," Bonk said, and described the program's main features: an initial proactive inspection, periodic inspections no more than once per calendar year, transfer-triggered inspections, and a 10% sampling rule for properties with 10 or more units with a requirement to inspect all units in a complex if a sampled unit contains a violation. Bonk said new-construction units or units that passed inspection would be exempt from periodic and transfer inspections for 48 (as stated in the presentation).

The presentation stressed that the ordinance itself would only establish the RRIP; no properties would be…