Proactive Rental Inspection as a Tool for Enforcing Tenants’ Rights

Overview

Poor housing conditions can lead to infectious and chronic diseases, poor mental health, avoidable injuries, and long term physical and developmental problems for children. In most localities, rental properties are only inspected if a tenant files a complaint; but tenants rarely do so because of fear of retribution from their landlord or because they are unaware of their rights, or for other reasons. This fact sheet outlines how some localities have adopted proactive rental inspections to mitigate the power imbalance between tenants and landlords and avoid blighted properties in their neighborhoods.