Springfield rental inspection program in the works

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — This week, members of Springfield City Council heard ideas about a rental inspection program in the works.

“This would be a new program as we currently do not have anything,” Building Development Director Brock Rowe said.

Rowe said the city has had a program related to rentals in the past, but that has become obsolete over the years.

Rowe said looking out for renters is crucial in a city where more people rent than own.

“A rental inspection program would be the goal. [That goal] would be to … fix life [and] safety issues in homes that are currently being occupied by tenants,” Rowe said. “There are some [renters] that are having issues there.”

Rowe’s research thus far has included ideas from cities like Lawrence, Kansas; Columbia, Missouri; and Des Moines, Iowa.

“They’re pretty successful programs and they’re very comparable with the size of Springfield with college towns and things like that,” Rowe said.

Members of Springfield Tenants Unite attended the Wednesday meeting, advocating for greater protections for renters.

“Many other cities around the country, including many cities of a similar size, many other college towns also have rental inspection programs,” Alice Barber said. “It is the gold standard for preserving affordable housing and keeping renters safe and healthy.”

Barber said there’s no reason basic standards can’t be met in the city.

“You can’t run a hotel that’s not safe to live in where the ceiling is falling in and the pipes are leaking. You can’t run a restaurant that’s full of roaches,” Barber said. “If you are running a business where people eat and sleep just like a hotel, just like a restaurant, but people live there every single day, you should be held to those same standards.”

Rowe stated that there is no set timetable for when a program will be ready for City Council’s consideration.

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