Just got a letter from the city of Manhattan, KS saying that they are going to start mandatory inspections of all residential rental property in Jan 2011, there is a $20 registration fee and $65 inspection fee per unit, for a total of $85.00 per rental unit. I’m really starting to feel like I live in a communist country, or at least communist town. Man we need a new Mayor. --208.66.xx.xxx

This is what happens when a poor applicant pool and a bunch of slumlords that bring the profession in disrepute get together. King Log, anyone? (Check Wikipedia should you know know what that is.) --74.65.xxx.xx

You could possibly make organized attempts to cancel this inspection rule with the strong support of many other landlords, but your chances for that are now very slim. --96.239.xxx.xxx

And there is always something. I was once cited for having a door frame that looked like it would need a paint job next year. (I took it as a compliment that my shacks are in good condition). --173.66.x.xxx

This is nothing more than another form of taxation without representation with a different name. It's a new ordinance because enough landlords didn't get off there butts and fight against it, plus we have a total Nazi for a mayor. I have been selling the mobile homes I have in my court, but still have 6 left with renters in them. I'm going to have to draft some kind of rent to own contract before the deadline. I'm not paying the new tax. --208.66.xx.xxx

Get busy with your state representatives and State senator before the rest of the Cow towns here in OZ jump on the Band wagon . One of the things kansas had going for it was than government by and large stayed out of our lives . With things like this It'll turn the state into just another cesspool of government regulations. I'm going to write to the state house. --99.38.xxx.xxx

If we can get inspected for $50 here, they should be able to do it for less in KS. You are being overcharged. :-) --72.231.xxx.xx

We have a community in west St. Louis Mo. county that we have to have a city inspection for $100 and a fire district inspection for $75, total $175 to rent a home. --99.20.xx.xxx

It has come to my attention that the city of Manhattan has passed a law that requires all rental properties to be registered , for a fee and inspected by the city also for a fee. This is just another way to tax landlords without calling it a tax. There is no more reason to register and inspect a rental property than an owner occupied home. Please do what you can to get these laws repealed and prevent kansas cities from enacting similar laws in the future. We don't need more obstacles to small business here in Kansas . And we don't need any level of government to further interfere with private property rights. Thank you Reid Copeland, Sedan , Kansas --99.38.xxx.xxx

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--71.197.xxx.xxx

Los Angeles started their own inspection program some 8 years ago, and to this day the Housing Department can't do anything right. The City requires owners to register their units and provide a mailing address. However, the City doesn't use the owners "stated mailing address" to send out inspection notices, but instead allowes a 3rd party to mail out notices to any address they choose, ofter the prior owner, then charge owners for not showing up during an inspection -- a $250 fee. This is how they collect more money and make landlording more difficult. Los Angeles Housing Stinks. --173.60.xx.xx

we have an annual inspection fee of $75 PLUS the heater has to be inspected by a certified technician another $75. we will never buy another rental in that township they keep nagging us that we don't have the proper lock on the back door --96.245.xxx.xx

Back in April in Minneapolis 6 people died in an apartment fire. The building hadn't been inspected in 16 years. Now they are trying to figure out how to overhaul the process and/or take the inspection duties away from the fire department and give it to some new city agency. It's never mentioned that perhaps the city should do away with the whole process. --75.73.xxx.xxx

i get inspected every 5 years in metrowest.could be worse.if there are thousands of bldgs they may not get around to u every year.the inspections have some value in my experience but i hate them too. --173.14.xxx.xxx

--174.70.xxx.xx

Great idea Reid, I also suggested to some others in manhattan that we take up a petition to abolish the ordinance, if we can collect enough signatures maybe we can get it repealed. What do these idiots think will happen to the rental market here when investors stop investing because of BS oppressive laws that kill the little profits landlords make as it is? they piss and moan about not having enough rentals here, and then they pass a law that runs off the investors... GENIUS! --208.66.xx.xxx

Can you image the cost of bringing all old homes up to code here? they know the smaller landlords can't afford it, I think they want to drive out the small mom and pop landlords. --208.66.xx.xxx

--216.251.xxx.xxx

tenant was mad at our office for some stupid little reason, didn't rush over to do her maint request within 24 hours so she called code. it was a basement apartment in a duplex, very nice like new apt. it had a suspended ceiling and no 5/8 sheet rock above that. It was built that way, and once apon a time code must have approved it that way before our company bought the property. NOW Code DISservice wants everyone with rentals to meet the one hour fire break law, no grandfather clause here. almost every older house in this town has at least a mechanical room without one hour ceilings, and they can be impossible to install due to all the pipes etc. therefore we are forced to install sprinklers by he city of Manhattan. --208.66.xx.xxx