By: Jose Carranza
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. (UATV) –A Fayetteville ordinance requires landlords to provide a designated representative to the public.
After receiving input from neighbors and other Fayetteville residents, City Council Member Teresa Turk said that she started to draft the landlord registry ordinance.
“When there was an issue, such as needing to repair a fence, adjacent owners could only find the mailing address of the owner and sometimes this was only a post office box,” said Turk. “They want to have additional information such as a phone number or email address to allow a more timely way to contact the owner. Renters in some cases had a very difficult time contacting the owner when immediate attention was needed.”
The designated representatives will “serve as a point of contact for resident renters and their neighbors,” according to the registry website. The website also mentions that only owners of three or more properties need to choose a representative.
When asked about how this may impact renter’s rights, Turk said it only helps with communication. She mentions that the state is in control of renter’s rights legislation but she is open to any ideas for the rights.
“Arkansas is the only state in the country that does not require habitability standards,” said Turk. “The lack of these kinds of basic rights discourages talented and progressive people from moving to our state and perpetuating the ‘brain drain’ that has stymied development here.”
The city of Fayetteville has given landlords a deadline of April 30th to register their designated representatives. Fayetteville has fines waiting for those who fail to meet the deadline.
Representatives must also live in close proximity to the county in Washington, Benton, Madison or Crawford Counties.
To keep the registry up to date, any changes made for the representatives must be updated within seven days.
The only exception is for owners of short-term rentals who are not required to register.
Landlords can find more information here and register their designated representatives here.