Landlords in Kansas City are educating themselves on how to comply with a new list of regulations associated with the tenants bill of rights, and some are wondering about the net effect of the ordinance.
Critics of the bill of rights have said if could cause a reduction in the number of rental homes, and a corresponding increase in the cost of rent for the 46 percent of Kansas Citians who lease their homes. The ordinance includes a citation of a "lack of access to safe, stable and affordable housing."
Many owners are mom-and-pop landlords who will need to consider whether it is a good idea to continue investing their time and money into a service that is getting harder to provide, said Robert Long, president of Landlords, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that represents housing providers in Kansas City.
"They're just people that are trying to do the right thing and provide housing," Long said.
The original draft of the ordinance contained drastic rules that only considered the concerns of renters, Long said.
"The city should be charged with, and interested in, creating a policy that protects housing providers, tenants and the neighbors in the homes next door," Long said.
The Landlords, Inc. website says the compromises in the ordinance represent a favorable outcome for housing providers.