Rentals
The availability of Rentals means an availability of
affordable housing. A large percentage of households are renters and the vast
majority of them are good neighbors. This is evident by simply driving around
town and its neighborhoods. Most homes are well kept and attractive.
There are exceptions. In our concern about these exceptions we should
address the issues that cause the concern and not group renters into a class
that needs to be controlled or discriminated against. While regulations within
homeowners associations (the private sector) as to rental percentages are
absolutely within the rights of the member property owners, the government
should not involve itself in rent control. For this reason, any support of deed
restrictions or other encroachments on an owner’s private property rights
should be avoided.
It is the duty of government to protect the rights of its citizens and
this includes the right to peace in you own home. Rather than concentrating on
discouraging persons from renting, the government should make every effort to
guarantee and protect the right of all citizens to living with relative quiet
and peace.
For the government this takes the form of ordinances, which should be
applied as needed. These include noise and parking violations.
What residents fear most are large parties and noise. There is no doubt
that some persons can and will be insensitive to the rights of their neighbors.
We need to solve this problem, but without a policy of simply excluding renters
from a neighborhood.
Solutions:
- Citizens
should have readily available information on the steps that one should take
in the event of a neighborhood disturbance. This could include issues of
parties, parking, noise, and appearance.
- A
first step may be to contact a neighborhood captain who knows what steps to
take.
- Another
possibility would be to have a citizen volunteer hotline number to call for
advice and assistance.
- The
city could also include a web site containing instructions on how to
proceed.
- Consider
limiting 'on street' parking permits to two per household.
- Alcohol
is often a factor and this problem should be addressed as well.
The important result is that residents know their rights and that
neighborhood problems are solved without resorting to banishing students or
prohibiting rentals. After all, such problems may arise from owners as well.
Terence Wehle
Candidate for City Council