LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville rental properties will soon be randomly selected for inspections to ensure landlords are complying with city and state codes.
The "proactive inspections" are a new approach to ensure rented homes meet basic safety and sanitation requirements. Previously, city inspectors primarily responded only to complaints.
"This is a step that Metro government has never done before to ensure the quality of rental units across our entire city," Mayor Craig Greenberg said at a news conference Monday. "This will allow us to help identify problems early and help tenants who might be afraid of retribution from their landlords if they report an issue."
The inspections were approved by Metro Council in December 2022 as part of changes to the city's rental registry, a database of rental properties and contact information for owners or their agents.
The registry launched in 2017 but was recently overhauled.
As of Monday, Metro government is accepting registrations ahead of a June 1 deadline for landlords to submit information about their properties.
Landlords who fail to register their properties could face fines of up to $100 per day, though city officials said they will be given warnings and help navigating a new system.
Metro Council member Rick Blackwell, who sponsored the 2022 ordinance, said the increased inspections are meant to alert landlords to problems before they become unlivable.
Blackwell, who represents southwest Louisville neighborhoods such as Pleasure Ridge Park, said a neighbor once told him of a grandmother and grandchild using their oven to heat their apartment.
City and state law says landlords must provide heat during winter months and that cooking appliances should not be the source.
But the woman was afraid to report the violation because she didn't want to get kicked out of the apartment, Blackwell said.
"That's the kind of stuff that the proactive inspections will help with," he said.
During the news conference, city officials mentioned common problems like insufficient hallway lighting or plumbing leaks.
A "checklist" showing landlord responsibilities will be posted to the city's website in the near future, officials said.
While randomly selected units could be inspected, city officials will not show up unannounced. Landlords and tenants will have weeks of notice before an inspector arrives, said Phil Crowe, assistant director of the Louisville Metro Codes & Regulations.
If the tenant isn't home or doesn't open the door, inspectors will attempt to reschedule the inspection, he said.
The changes are supported by the Louisville Apartment Association, a trade group representing local landlords.
"We can look at this as a win-win situation," said J.D. Carey, the apartment association's executive director. "Landlords can receive information quicker, about issues that may be going on at their rental units that maybe they didn't know what was going on."
Problems with rental units in Jefferson County can be reported here or by calling Metro Call 311.
