WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - The mayor of a Delaware city vetoed a bill that would require officials to inspect every rental unit in the city before a tenant moves in or when a lease is renewed.
Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki on Friday said conducting a nearly annual inspection of more than 18,000 rental units in Wilmington was “impractical” and misdirect attention and resources away from units that need the most improvement.
The bill was narrowly passed by the city council this month, The Delaware News Journal reported. It’s proponents say it would ensure a rental unit’s cleanliness and safety for tenants.
The city’s Licenses and Inspections Department “does not have the personnel to perform what amounts to almost ten times the number of rental inspections it currently performs, as well as execute all the other essential responsibilities given to the Department under City Code,” Purzycki wrote to council members in his veto message, according to a news release.
Officials have long debated improvements for renters in Wilmington, but no changes have been made to the city’s housing code for four years, the newspaper said.
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