Louisville, KY starting home inspections

Louisville, KY · Member since 2015 · 166 posts · 83 votes

So, Louisville metro council just passed an ordinance to start inspecting all rentals. I’m a small investor with 2 single family homes. Does anyone know the details of these inspections? What I’ve read so far hasn’t given much detail. Both of my homes are in pretty good shape but I am not looking forward to someone nitpicking them. I feel like this is an overreach and a money grab by our local government.

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Jeffrey Evans

Investor · San Jose Ca · Member since 2020 · 125 posts · 115 votes

Quote from @Kevin Allen:

@Jeffrey Evans. Well, I don’t really know any details yet. I was hoping to find out from someone who knows.

Maybe @Rob Bergeron or @Kevin Hart have more details ?

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Jeffrey Evans
Investor · San Jose Ca · Member since 2020 · 125 posts · 115 votes
3y
I have received a couple letters from the city to fix peddy little things in the past few months on my rental. These have all been on the out side of the house or yard. So this new Ordinance they will go inside and inspect everything? Doesn't seem like more tenants would want them doing random in home inspections either.
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Kevin Allen
OP
Louisville, KY · Member since 2015 · 166 posts · 83 votes
3y
@Jeffrey Evans. Well, I don’t really know any details yet. I was hoping to find out from someone who knows.
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Jeffrey Evans
Investor · San Jose Ca · Member since 2020 · 125 posts · 115 votes
3y
Quote from @Kevin Allen:

@Jeffrey Evans. Well, I don’t really know any details yet. I was hoping to find out from someone who knows.

Maybe @Rob Bergeron or @Kevin Hart have more details ?

1 Reply
Rob Bergeron
Real Estate Agent · Louisville, KY · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
Not enough people to implement at the moment, they can't get section 8 inspections done quick enough. I'd expect if your property is being visited for any reason they will go ahead and test. I think that is how it will get started.
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Vanessa Allen
Member since 2022 · 6 posts · 2 votes
3y
Louisville to start randomly inspecting rental units in some areas (courier-journal.com) Here is a link with more information.
In short, you will have to pay to be on the rental registry, which will be public information. The fee is between 25 and 200 dollars and you renew yearly at 50 bucks. They have the right to enter your property and inspect the inside. Previously, Louisville Metro would only look for code violations on the outside IF there was a registered complaint. Now, they will look on the inside and outside with no complaint in place. I feel like it is vast government overreach and expansion. There is no complaint, there is no warrant.... and they can come INSIDE and issue violations and fines. We are talking about private landlords with private self-paying tenants. Louisville is a liberal shytshow and, unfortunately, we have ten rentals there. The libs aren't digesting the fact that the unintended consequence of this is that rent with skyrocket even higher. I can't believe there is not a formal, legal challenge to this.
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Kevin Hart
Real Estate Agent · Louisville, KY · Member since 2014 · 257 posts · 172 votes
3y
thanks @Jeffrey Evans , I do agree with what @Rob Bergeron said. There are not enough inspectors in the city to handle that currently. Sec 8 and construction permit inspections are still way behind already.
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James WilcoxBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Bowling Green KY ~ Lexington, KY · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 600 votes
3y
Quote from @Vanessa Allen:

Louisville to start randomly inspecting rental units in some areas (courier-journal.com) Here is a link with more information.
In short, you will have to pay to be on the rental registry, which will be public information. The fee is between 25 and 200 dollars and you renew yearly at 50 bucks. They have the right to enter your property and inspect the inside. Previously, Louisville Metro would only look for code violations on the outside IF there was a registered complaint. Now, they will look on the inside and outside with no complaint in place. I feel like it is vast government overreach and expansion. There is no complaint, there is no warrant.... and they can come INSIDE and issue violations and fines. We are talking about private landlords with private self-paying tenants. Louisville is a liberal shytshow and, unfortunately, we have ten rentals there. The libs aren't digesting the fact that the unintended consequence of this is that rent with skyrocket even higher. I can't believe there is not a formal, legal challenge to this.

That would be a KREIA or apartment association matter. @Rob Bergeron how come the KREIA just lets all this stuff go by with no pushback? IK getting involved in political matters is tough but your by-laws do to me state you need to foster a better public understanding & appreciation of real estate investment problems and things like this that keep passing fall under that arm.
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James WilcoxBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Bowling Green KY ~ Lexington, KY · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 600 votes
3y
Quote from @Kevin Hart:

thanks @Jeffrey Evans , I do agree with what @Rob Bergeron said. There are not enough inspectors in the city to handle that currently. Sec 8 and construction permit inspections are still way behind already.
True but they can just hire more people. Yeah, it will take a year or so but that is what the funding would go toward. 1.4 mil to fund the program.
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Kevin Allen
OP
Louisville, KY · Member since 2015 · 166 posts · 83 votes
3y
@Kevin Hart
Will the new inspections basically just be an arm of section 8? Will the inspections be similar to section 8? I currently only have 2 single families. They are nice houses but I don’t know how involved the inspections are. My plan was to buy more rentals but I dont know if that will be in Louisville now. How does the southern Indiana market compare?
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Vanessa Allen
Member since 2022 · 6 posts · 2 votes
3y
Quote from @James Wilcox:

Quote from @Kevin Hart:

thanks @Jeffrey Evans , I do agree with what @Rob Bergeron said. There are not enough inspectors in the city to handle that currently. Sec 8 and construction permit inspections are still way behind already.
True but they can just hire more people. Yeah, it will take a year or so but that is what the funding would go toward. 1.4 mil to fund the program.
Yes, using our money to extort more of our money from us. I don't understand how any of this is legal. Our properties are in good shape but, if you have ever had any involvement with code inspectors, you realize quickly that it can be a nightmare.
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Greg M.
Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 5k+ votes
3y
No, you are talking about a business. Whether landlords need to get a business license or not (and many locations require it) doesn't change the fact is that this is a business. And governments have the right to regulate businesses.

This isn't the first city to do this and it won't be the last by a longshot. From what I recall reading about another city that recently enacted this, their courts ruled that the renters have the right to refuse inspection.

Do what every other landlord does. Raise the rent to cover the cost of the registration. Raise the rent to cover the cost of any unnecessary/cosmetic repairs required by the inspectors. Raise the rent to cover the additional liability. Raise the rent to cover your additional time spent dealing with the unit. And of course, raise the rent.
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Vanessa Allen
Member since 2022 · 6 posts · 2 votes
3y

As I stated, VAST over reach and expansion of the govt. and also that the unintended consequence of the looney liberals' decision will be increased rents. You're from CA, a lot of unintended consequences have happened there, correct?
It's intrusive to landlords but highly intrusive to tenants as well.
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James WilcoxBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Bowling Green KY ~ Lexington, KY · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 600 votes
3y
Quote from @Vanessa Allen:

Quote from @James Wilcox:

Quote from @Kevin Hart:

thanks @Jeffrey Evans , I do agree with what @Rob Bergeron said. There are not enough inspectors in the city to handle that currently. Sec 8 and construction permit inspections are still way behind already.
True but they can just hire more people. Yeah, it will take a year or so but that is what the funding would go toward. 1.4 mil to fund the program.
Yes, using our money to extort more of our money from us. I don't understand how any of this is legal. Our properties are in good shape but, if you have ever had any involvement with code inspectors, you realize quickly that it can be a nightmare.
All legal until someone chooses to challenge. I kind of doubt that will happen there. Source of income is a protected class in L-ville so nutshell you have to accept S8 vouchers. You might have just never come across it yet at your properties.
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Kelly Bankes
Investor · Louisville, KY · Member since 2015 · 73 posts · 33 votes
3y
It looks like not all neighborhoods will be inspected?
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Vanessa Allen
Member since 2022 · 6 posts · 2 votes
3y
Quote from @James Wilcox:

Quote from @Vanessa Allen:

Quote from @James Wilcox:

Quote from @Kevin Hart:

thanks @Jeffrey Evans , I do agree with what @Rob Bergeron said. There are not enough inspectors in the city to handle that currently. Sec 8 and construction permit inspections are still way behind already.
True but they can just hire more people. Yeah, it will take a year or so but that is what the funding would go toward. 1.4 mil to fund the program.
Yes, using our money to extort more of our money from us. I don't understand how any of this is legal. Our properties are in good shape but, if you have ever had any involvement with code inspectors, you realize quickly that it can be a nightmare.
All legal until someone chooses to challenge. I kind of doubt that will happen there. Source of income is a protected class in L-ville so nutshell you have to accept S8 vouchers. You might have just never come across it yet at your properties.

This doesn't have anything to do with section 8 though.
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Greg M.
Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 5k+ votes
3y
Is it REALLY a vast overreach of government? Inspectors routinely enter all businesses to check them for safety. Don't you want someone to make sure the restaurant you're eating in is clean, the elevator you're riding in is safe, and the building you're working in has proper safety exits and systems? Why not the place you spend most of your time?
And while I believe it is likely a money grab that will have a negligible impact on safety, ultimately cause rents to increase, and cause a small percentage of rentals to be removed from the marketplace, this isn't even close to the worst thing the government could implement.

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Vanessa Allen
Member since 2022 · 6 posts · 2 votes
3y
Quote from @Greg M.:

Is it REALLY a vast overreach of government? Inspectors routinely enter all businesses to check them for safety. Don't you want someone to make sure the restaurant you're eating in is clean, the elevator you're riding in is safe, and the building you're working in has proper safety exits and systems? Why not the place you spend most of your time?
And while I believe it is likely a money grab that will have a negligible impact on safety, ultimately cause rents to increase, and cause a small percentage of rentals to be removed from the marketplace, this isn't even close to the worst thing the government could implement.

Most people do not believe it is the government's responsibility to save them from themselves. At the end of the day, it never results in higher safety, quality of life, etc. Its about the govt finding more ways to extort money from you. Ultimately, the tenants will pay the price- you know, the people the govt will be "helping."
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James WilcoxBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Bowling Green KY ~ Lexington, KY · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 600 votes
3y
Quote from @Vanessa Allen:

Quote from @James Wilcox:

Quote from @Vanessa Allen:

Quote from @James Wilcox:

Quote from @Kevin Hart:

thanks @Jeffrey Evans , I do agree with what @Rob Bergeron said. There are not enough inspectors in the city to handle that currently. Sec 8 and construction permit inspections are still way behind already.
True but they can just hire more people. Yeah, it will take a year or so but that is what the funding would go toward. 1.4 mil to fund the program.
Yes, using our money to extort more of our money from us. I don't understand how any of this is legal. Our properties are in good shape but, if you have ever had any involvement with code inspectors, you realize quickly that it can be a nightmare.
All legal until someone chooses to challenge. I kind of doubt that will happen there. Source of income is a protected class in L-ville so nutshell you have to accept S8 vouchers. You might have just never come across it yet at your properties.

This doesn't have anything to do with section 8 though.
This was your comment.
"Will the new inspections basically just be an arm of section 8? Will the inspections be similar to section 8? I currently only have 2 single families. They are nice houses but I don’t know how involved the inspections are. My plan was to buy more rentals but I dont know if that will be in Louisville now. How does the southern Indiana market compare?"

Basically was saying, if you have rentals in L-ville, you already are required to accept S8 tenants. Nothing more than that.

IDK exactly what S8 has been pulled into this anyway since the city code enforcement will be running this program you mentioned. At least how I see t. 2 different organizations.
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Vanessa Allen
Member since 2022 · 6 posts · 2 votes
3y
Quote from @James Wilcox:

Quote from @Vanessa Allen:

Quote from @James Wilcox:

Quote from @Vanessa Allen:

Quote from @James Wilcox:

Quote from @Kevin Hart:

thanks @Jeffrey Evans , I do agree with what @Rob Bergeron said. There are not enough inspectors in the city to handle that currently. Sec 8 and construction permit inspections are still way behind already.
True but they can just hire more people. Yeah, it will take a year or so but that is what the funding would go toward. 1.4 mil to fund the program.
Yes, using our money to extort more of our money from us. I don't understand how any of this is legal. Our properties are in good shape but, if you have ever had any involvement with code inspectors, you realize quickly that it can be a nightmare.
All legal until someone chooses to challenge. I kind of doubt that will happen there. Source of income is a protected class in L-ville so nutshell you have to accept S8 vouchers. You might have just never come across it yet at your properties.

This doesn't have anything to do with section 8 though.
This was your comment.
"Will the new inspections basically just be an arm of section 8? Will the inspections be similar to section 8? I currently only have 2 single families. They are nice houses but I don’t know how involved the inspections are. My plan was to buy more rentals but I dont know if that will be in Louisville now. How does the southern Indiana market compare?"

Basically was saying, if you have rentals in L-ville, you already are required to accept S8 tenants. Nothing more than that.

IDK exactly what S8 has been pulled into this anyway since the city code enforcement will be running this program you mentioned. At least how I see t. 2 different organizations.

That was not my comment.
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James WilcoxBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Bowling Green KY ~ Lexington, KY · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 600 votes
3y
I see. My mistake.
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