Nearly all Baltimore County rental properties required under new legislation to undergo inspections and registrations have complied, government officials said Tuesday.
About 11,500 landlords registered their properties by the Jan. 1 deadline, or most of an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 homes that qualify, officials said. The level of compliance is “remarkable,” County Executive Jim Smith said in a statement.
“From the beginning, this legislation was about the quality of life in our communities,” Smith said. “I commend county staff, community leaders, and property owners for their efforts.”
The original deadline was set for July 1, 2008, but in November lawmakers voted to extend it until January amid resistance from rental property owners. The legislation requires each rental unit to be inspected by a licensed private inspector for functioning electrical and plumbing systems, proper ventilation, windows, and smoke detectors.
Certain rental homes are exempt, including group homes and units that are owner-occupied with no more than one additional unrelated occupant.
The law was passed in a 4-3 vote and one lawmaker — District 3 Republican Councilman Bryan McIntire — said he planned to introduce legislation repealing the whole program, which he called “silly” and “unenforceable.”
Officials said a complete list of registered properties will be available on the county Web site in the future.
