City warns it plans to crack down on compliance with landlord/tenant forms
By Nick Claussen
July 24, 2008
More than two years after Athens City Council approved the landlord-tenant form regulations for the city, the city prosecutor’s office will start going after landlords who aren’t following the requirements.
Athens Law Director Pat Lang announced at Monday’s City Council meeting that his office will file criminal charges against landlords who are not meeting the requirements for these forms.
Lang explained that in December 2005, council passed legislation that requires landlords to provide the forms to their tenants, and then have the tenants sign them. Copies of the forms then have to be filed with the city, and the landlords and tenants are supposed to keep copies on file as well, Lang said.
While the requirements for the forms have been in place for more than two years, Lang said the city has never enforced the law. He added that a large number of property owners are not in compliance. Lang took over as law director at the beginning of 2008, and said he does not know why the city did not follow up on the law previously.
“It is my duty and the duty of my office to enforce this law,” Lang said. The city is serious about enforcing the ordinance, and all landlords will need to comply with the law, he said. He added that not complying with the law is a criminal offense, and criminal charges will be filed against those who break the law.
All landlords have until Sept. 30 to file copies of their landlord-tenant forms with the city, he said.
“Come Sept. 30, those that have chosen to ignore this law will be charged under it,” Lang said.
Lang told council about his enforcement of the law as he was requesting funding for paying postage to mail reminder letters to landlords about the forms. Every person who owns a rental property in the city will receive one of the letters, Lang said.
Jim Sands, an at-large member of council, pointed out that the landlord-tenant forms are designed to be educational tools to help tenants. The forms tell them about their rights as tenants and also talks about their responsibilities, Sands said. It is important for the landlords to give these forms to the tenants, he added.
Mayor Paul Wiehl said he is happy that Lang is choosing to enforce this law.
“I think it needs to be done. It’s been two years,” Wiehl said. He added that this is a widespread problem in Athens, as more than 1,000 forms that should be filed have not been turned into the city so far this year.
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