Bill restoring landlord accountability tools to Indiana cities sent to governor for approval

STATEHOUSE – Legislation enabling cities like Indianapolis to establish programs that hold negligent landlords accountable is on its way to Governor Mike Pence for final approval, after tireless efforts by State Rep. Justin Moed (D-Indianapolis), local officials and community leaders to improve the bill.

Indiana House members today concurred with changes made in the Senate on House Bill 1403, which restores the ability of communities across the state to require landlords to register their rental properties with the city and provide their contact information.

Rep. Moed talks about the effort to improve neighborhoods by tracking down negligent landlords in this 1-minute audio clip.

These rights had been previously taken from municipalities through legislation that passed despite Moed’s objections during the 2013 session of the Indiana General Assembly.

Following the passage of that change, Moed joined with neighborhood leaders throughout the state and began advocating for the repeal of this ban. Their advocacy for change found support among lawmakers, leading to the revisions contained in House Bill 1403.

“At the heart of this discussion is a desire for local communities to have an idea who to contact when there are concerns about a rental property,” Moed said. “If there are problems with upkeep, or there has been some sort of damage done, or even if a house on the property has been the scene of a crime or fire, then it is imperative that we know who we can contact to assume responsibility.

“These concerns are elevated when the property is owned by someone who is from another state or county,” he continued. “We want to create a situation where there is a name, face and phone number to put to each rental property.”

Moed noted that Indianapolis City-County Councilors John Barth, Zach Adamson and Jeff Miller have been working on an ordinance that would create such a registry for the city.

“The ultimate goal here is to have some sort of regulatory oversight over these properties that clearly defines accountability,” Moed said. “I believe it is an important step in ensuring that landlords behave responsibly and are good neighbors in the communities they do business in.”

Such accountability is a cornerstone of the neighborhood improvement program that Moed has made an important part of his work as a state legislator.