West Valley gets tough with landlords

WEST VALLEY CITY — Broken glass hangs from a window frame in one fourplex. The corner of another unit looks like it's been clipped by an automobile.

It's the type of external neglect that saturates the Arlington Park apartment community at 4520 S. 4800 West.

The situation inside the rental units is worse, city officials say. Multiple families are squeezing into two-bedroom units, often making living conditions unsanitary and unsafe.

West Valley City is attempting to address such code violations by requiring all rental-property owners to obtain a business license, pass a code inspection and complete a landlord-training program.

Under the ordinance, those who do business in the city without a license are guilty of a class B misdemeanor, which carries a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The city previously only required property owners with four or more rental units to go through the licensing process and pay the $110 per-unit fee.

Housing industry officials say the business-licensing requirement for every landlord — even those with just one home or duplex for rent — makes West Valley City's ordinance the strictest of any municipality along the Wasatch Front.

The requirement, which went into effect in October, has drawn criticism from some property owners and managers, who say the city is more interested in gouging landlords than training them. Meanwhile, advocates for renter rights and low-income residents say the program helps prevent landlords from taking advantage of their tenants.

"The intent of this program is really to improve the quality of rental properties and to improve the quality of life for all residents of West Valley City," said assistant city attorney Claire Gillmor, who has spearheaded the program.

The training program was devised as a way for city officials to keep tabs on who's doing rental business West Valley, as well as to provide landlords with resources to effectively manage their properties and meet city code requirements, Gillmor said.

And it's not as time-consuming as it sounds, she said. Potential landlords only need to pick up a training packet at City Hall — or download one from the city Web site, www.wvc-ut.gov — and prove they've read it by completing a 17-question worksheet.

But Paul Smith, executive director of the Utah Apartment Association, said he's seen the training packet and isn't impressed: "It's a money grab," he said.