Comments on: Crime Free Housing Ordinances http://www.iarbuzz.com/2010/03/crime-free-housing-ordinances/ The Voice of Illinois Real Estate Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:16:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Will http://www.iarbuzz.com/2010/03/crime-free-housing-ordinances/comment-page-1/#comment-3281 Will Wed, 11 Aug 2010 21:31:10 +0000 http://www.iarbuzz.com/?p=1985#comment-3281 Some cities and police departments go too far with these ordinances. I have been involved in several cases where the police officer in charge of the "Crime Free" program tells a landlord they must evict a tenant because of "suspected" criminal activity. If the landlord balks at evicting a tenant the city threatens to revoke the landlord's business license. No landlord wants to fight with city hall. The most egregious case was when a family who had been renting a single family home for 10 years were forced to move because the police suspected one family member (an adult child home for summer from college) used marijuana. Some cities and police departments go too far with these ordinances. I have been involved in several cases where the police officer in charge of the “Crime Free” program tells a landlord they must evict a tenant because of “suspected” criminal activity. If the landlord balks at evicting a tenant the city threatens to revoke the landlord’s business license. No landlord wants to fight with city hall. The most egregious case was when a family who had been renting a single family home for 10 years were forced to move because the police suspected one family member (an adult child home for summer from college) used marijuana.

]]> By: Julie Johnson http://www.iarbuzz.com/2010/03/crime-free-housing-ordinances/comment-page-1/#comment-923 Julie Johnson Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:31:02 +0000 http://www.iarbuzz.com/?p=1985#comment-923 While these programs are valuable to communities, they need to be voluntary for a lanldord to participate in. An increasing number of cities across the nation are deciding to regulate the rental housing industry. They are disguising these programs as "Crime Free" and trying to shift a societal issue onto the rental property owner. In a recent negotiatation with a city, their idea was for the landlord to investigate "gang activity" on their property. When I informed them rental housing owners did not have the proper training to be able to do this... they wanted to know why I wouldn't want to take of the problems on my properties. Also, the only tools lanldords have available to deal with crime on their property is eviction. Not only is this costly but also takes time. I would suggest that if lanldords are expected to deal with criminal activity on their properties then state's should provide landlords the tools needed such as a "no contest" eviction in regards to crime. Sincerely, Julie While these programs are valuable to communities, they need to be voluntary for a lanldord to participate in. An increasing number of cities across the nation are deciding to regulate the rental housing industry. They are disguising these programs as “Crime Free” and trying to shift a societal issue onto the rental property owner. In a recent negotiatation with a city, their idea was for the landlord to investigate “gang activity” on their property. When I informed them rental housing owners did not have the proper training to be able to do this… they wanted to know why I wouldn’t want to take of the problems on my properties.

Also, the only tools lanldords have available to deal with crime on their property is eviction. Not only is this costly but also takes time. I would suggest that if lanldords are expected to deal with criminal activity on their properties then state’s should provide landlords the tools needed such as a “no contest” eviction in regards to crime.

Sincerely,
Julie

]]>