Read these articles about Inspections involving the LA City Housing Department and download your own Inspection Checklist:

My Experience with The Los Angeles City Housing Department
Getting Ready for an Inspection
Ask for a "Letter Of Compliance" After An Inspection
Download your own Inspection Checklist

Inspections Unfair To Landlords,
and To Tenants

By Ann Onimuss, AAGLA Member 

After reading the article written by Gregg Hall on page 16 of the August issue of Apartment Age, I have decided to write you with my experiences and perceptions about the "Systematic Code Enforcement" inspectors.

The first inspector came in a timely fashion and I accompanied him on the tour of my six‑unit building. I was cited for mostly the caulking in kitchens and bathrooms due to the sloppiness of tenants leaving standing water after bathing and doing kitchen cleanups. I also was cited for one smoke detector ‑that the tenant has disconnected three times prior and settling cracks in plaster.

The biggie was a gas smell in the laundry room. It turned out to be leaks in the lines that traverse underground from the meters to two of the units. All was taken care of in a timely fashion and the property, in my view, was in great shape and we were ready for the final inspection.

I thought that the inspector was unduly picky and unfair. Some of the items that I was cited for had nothing to do with the "health and safety" of my tenants and were caused by their negligence in their housekeeping and living habits. Then, came the day of the re-inspection. The inspector was over 45 minutes late, and he wasn't the original inspector. Already I was uneasy about this. He went over the items that he had on his hand‑written list, and then started to point out and question other things about the property, things that the original inspector had ignored.

I began to feel like, "Where does this all end? Am I going to be cited for more things?" I started to reflect back on Gregg Hall's article. The funniest thing was the second inspector never asked me about the gas leak and whether it was repaired. At least he could have done a sniff test! This was the most important item on the list. This experience has caused me to become paranoid about other conditions that could develop in the future, such as damages caused by tenants in their units and keeping common areas safe and clean.

My tenants like to put potted plants on stairs, railings and landings, and they keep their barbecues out in the front yard. I have been quite lenient about this in the past and I try to let them lead their lives in the privacy of their apartments and to enjoy the common areas even to the point that it is me who cleans up after them. Not any more!

With the city government breathing down my neck, I will more strictly enforce all the rules for a sanitary and safe property. Their apartments will be inspected every six months for smoke detectors, damages and sanitation. I have already received complaints about me being stricter with the rules. No more unpermitted items in common areas and all, stairways, railings and landings are to have nothing on them that could cause a trip or fall. Three‑day notices to perform will be issued without hesitation.

In short, this program doesn't bode well for landlords or tenants. Landlords will become more demanding of their tenants for fear of being cited for one thing or another, and it is obvious to me that we will always be cited for something by the inspectors just to justify their existing bureaucracy!

Therefore, I implore AAGLA to lobby against this with the City Council and to somehow question the tactics, the extortion, arrogance, and unfairness of this Mafia-like outfit. There has to be some kind of oversight here to ensure that fairness prevails. If this gets out of control, it also will affect the property values of all rent‑controlled properties, not to mention the quality of life for the renters.

I, for one, am beginning to question whether I shall continue to operate in this environment of needless oversight. I am a responsible landlord. The condition and appearance of my property should speak for itself. Landlords, such as myself should be left alone.