CMPD and Charlotte city staff are operating way, way out of their depth. The suppressed assumption in this proposed landlord registration law is that landlords are rolling in money. That they have an extra $335 a year to hand to the city for the privilege of renting out their property so that the city may hire more staff to work the program the law creates.
Anyone else think this is nuts?
Let’s cut to the chase. The city proposes to levy a new tax on rental properties. Not all of them, just the ones deemed “high crime.” That sounds like a lawsuit right there. But suppose not. What happens when the property owner taps out and takes their unit or units off the market? What if they just walk away? Will the city take over running some units? Or will the city knock some down and build new ones? What if a landlord decides to get out of the “high crime” tax by opting not to rent to anyone with a criminal record? Will the city stand behind them and help fight off the inevitable lawsuits that would follow?
Finally, if crime-committing renters are the problem, why not go after them directly? License them — perhaps nothing more than a $5 fee and a requirement that they be a in the country lawfully and not have any outstanding warrants. How is that any less nuts than what the city proposes to do? And yet majority of city council evidently is ready to go along.
This is all headed in a very bad direction.
