The Daily Orange is a nonprofit newsroom that receives no funding from Syracuse University. Consider donating today to support our mission.

City councilors passed legislation last week that prohibits landlords from evicting tenants from one- and two-family homes if their property is not registered with the city.

The legislation, which prevents landlords from evicting someone for nonpayment on an unregistered house, will go into effect Nov. 15, giving the codes department time to “ramp up enforcement,” said Common Councilor At-Large Michael Greene.

The city created the rental registry in 2007 and allowed code enforcement officials to track ownership and conditions of one- and two-family buildings — providing an intervention intended to stop landlords from renting out a property that is uninhabitable.

“Enforcement has been a problem,” said Laura Rolnick, director of eviction and reentry programs at the Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County. Rolnick works with tenants in Syracuse City Court representing them as a pro bono lawyer.

Some landlords continue to rent out unsafe properties and rely on tenants who may be desperate for housing rather than resolve issues, Greene said.

Code enforcement is the “interface between the city officials and the landlords,” which will make sure landlords comply with the law or face consequences, Greene said.

Communication between the codes departments and the city’s landlords is a “carrot and stick approach,” Greene said. The department tries to reach out and explain the rules to landlords and encourage compliance, yet the lack of cooperation has led local lawmakers to stand by tenant rights when landlords appear uninterested in doing so, he said.

Tenants have the right to safe housing, Rolnick said. This will be a “great tool in the tool box” that will bring into the spotlight absentee landlords who have not been doing their job to maintain their properties, she said.

Student Legal Services can also help Syracuse University students who have complications with their landlords, Rolnick said.

Published on September 23, 2020 at 10:18 pm

Contact Ryan: rspivey@syr.edu