A proposed city ordinance that would establish property maintenance responsibilities for certain landlords and give tenants a list of rights was the subject of lengthy discussion at the Little Rock Board of Directors agenda-setting meeting yesterday. The board plans to hold a vote on the proposal next week.
Landlords would be required to provide hot and cold water, working electricity and plumbing, a safe and functioning roof, pest extermination services and general building maintenance. Violators of the ordinance would face a fine of up to $1000 or $500 a day for continuous offenses, according to Little Rock city code.
Assistant City Attorney Shawn Overton told the board that 45% of Little Rock residents are renters. “We have more renters in the city of Little Rock than anywhere else in the state of Arkansas and up until 2021, we were the only state that did not have an implied warranty of habitability. So this is an important project.”
An implied warranty of habitability is a law that requires landlords to ensure that their rental properties meet certain basic standards, such as having power and heat. Overton was referring to a law passed by the Arkansas Legislature in 2021 that gives some minimal rights to tenants, though housing advocates have criticized it for providing fewer protections than in other states. Some have questioned whether it should be considered as a true implied warranty of habitability.
As currently written, the ordinance, sponsored by City Director Antwan Phillips, would apply to multifamily housing zoned MF-18 and MF-24, which applies to apartment developments with a maximum of 18 or 24 units per acre.
City Director Lance Hines questioned the decision to only include two zoning classifications in the ordinance and said Big Country Chateau, an infamous apartment complex that the city closed last summer, is zoned differently and wouldn’t be covered.
“If we want to put this into practice we want to make sure we’ve covered all our bases, especially where our biggest offenders are concerned,” Hines said.
Overton said he would work to modify the ordinance to be more expansive.
In addition to the tenants’ rights ordinance, Phillips sponsored a resolution that would publish those rights on the Little Rock city website for renters to easily view.
“If you’re a tenant in the city of Little Rock and you want to know whether your living conditions meet Little Rock code, instead of you having to thumb through the Little Rock code to find the right section, we’ll have an easy-to-find, user-friendly section on the website,” Phillips said.
The city board also discussed a resolution that would pay for architectural work on the historic Pike-Fletcher-Terry House to bring it up to code. The house is currently the subject of litigation between the city and the heirs of the property, who sued to have the home returned to them. A trial is set for this October.
The agenda for next week’s board meeting also contains resolutions on new equipment for the Little Rock Fire and Police Departments, renovations for the Stephens and East Little Rock Community Centers, and a new truck for the parks and recreation department.
The board will vote on the tenants’ rights ordinance and the other resolutions at its meeting next Tuesday.