This month, the city of Elmira will begin publicly sharing the names of rental property owners with code violations in an effort to address dilapidated properties and protect tenants.
The legislation, which passed the Elmira City Council in April, requires the city to release a monthly list of landlords with rental properties that are not properly registered and inspected, or have outstanding municipal code violations and are in disrepair. The list will be placed on official city websites, social media channels and in newsletters.
“This is both a justice issue, that is to say a quality of life issue, it is also a fiscal issue,” said Councilmember Gary Brinn, who represents the city’s Fourth District and co-sponsored the legislation. “As the city's housing continues to deteriorate and the population shrinks, the tax burden falls on a smaller and smaller number of taxpayers every single year.”
Brinn said improving the housing stock is important to attracting new residents and building the tax base. Properties can be removed from the list if violations are fixed before the next month’s listing is released.
Additionally, the legislation states property owners with ongoing, uncorrected violations or violations that lead to tenants being forced to leave through no fault of their own, will remain on the public list for at least a year with no option for removal.
“That is to avoid a way landlords do end-run evictions, illegal evictions, by creating code violations by doing things like getting the water turned off in a building as a way to evict a difficult tenant,” Brinn said. “We want to give landlords tools for dealing with problem tenants. But we don't want them doing an end-run around the law.”
Tenants will not be named on these lists. However, Brinn said he plans to introduce legislation that protects landlords from tenants who violate rental agreements or laws, as part of a multi-pronged approach to addressing the city’s housing blight.
Additional areas to be addressed going forward include, the “zombie house” task force, pre-approved housing designs and infill construction, which means development of residential property on lots that are either empty or have burned out or blight housing that is in disrepair.
The resolution (Resolution No. 2024-145) passed 5-1. First District Councilmember Nick Grasso voted “no” and Second District Councilmember Corey Cooke was absent from the meeting.
Grasso said that the resolution does not adequately address everybody’s concerns with regards to public records and publishing addresses. He also expressed concern about the stress the legislation could have on people and the city departments responsible for enforcing the legislation.
“Although I sympathize and recognize both sides of the aisle here, I think the way this resolution is currently written just misses the mark and I just don’t feel comfortable supporting it,” Grasso said.
The first list of property owners with code violations is expected to be published on May 15.