Rental Housing Inspection Committee

Project Summary

The City of McMinnville Code Compliance team is seeking interested parties to be a part of a committee that will help with the development of a Rental Housing Inspection Program. The committee will meet approximately once a month for eight months to evaluate best practices, preform a needs assessment, and explore existing opportunities in McMinnville. This committee will make recommendations to the McMinnville City Council on the development of a program that protects basic living, safety, and welfare standards for rental housing in McMinnville. The City is interested in committee members that have experience as either a landlord or tenant as well as other interested community stakeholders. Representatives of households with disabilities, language barriers or low-income, or those who have a rental history in McMinnville are encouraged to apply. 

Applications are available below in both English and Spanish and will be accepted until 5:00 PM on March 22nd, 2021.

Project Background

In August of 2020, McMinnville City Council voted unanimously to create a Rental Housing Inspection Program in McMinnville that advocates for tenant equality through the development of minimum standards. After receiving reports of substandard living conditions in McMinnville’s rental housing, the City evaluated our processes against similar community efforts to establish minimum standards for safety and livability. Through that research, city staff learned that many communities have established Rental Housing Inspection Programs to develop minimum standards of maintenance and habitability. The program acts as an oversight to inspect rental housing throughout the community to ensure that rental properties maintain that minimum standard.  Minimum standards include: availability of running water, sanitation facilities, appropriate fire and smoke alarms, ability to maintain a minimum standard of heat, working electrical outlets, structural integrity of the housing unit, and that emergency exit systems are operable.

In August, 2020, the McMinnville City Council adopted the International Property Maintenance Code which is an industry standard for basic housing performance.  The City is now tasked to develop an inspection program that is fair, equitable and transparent to ensure that landlords are maintaining rental housing to the adopted minimum standards.

Research shows that tenants who are the most at risk of experiencing unhealthy or unsafe living environments are people living with disabilities, senior citizens, families of low-income, and families experiencing language barriers. These groups are also the least likely to complain about their living environment due to fear of losing their housing, retaliation from their landlord, and the inability to obtain future housing due to discriminatory practices.  A proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program ensures that all rental housing is held to the same standard and that McMinnville’s most vulnerable residents are protected from substandard conditions.  There are approximately 4900 rental units in McMinnville housing approximately 12,400 residents. 

This program will also help preserve the quality of McMinnville neighborhoods by providing regular oversight so that available housing does not become substandard.