City HallFriday, November 6
Kansas City's rental inspectors answer complaints fast but fall short of city code, an audit finds
The KCtoday team
If you rent in Kansas City, this one is about your landlord's accountability. The Office of the City Auditor released a performance audit of the Healthy Homes Rental Inspection Program Thursday. "Simply put, the program is responsive but not complete," senior auditor Dr. Bailey Keller told the city council.
Healthy Homes answered 96% of complaints within a day
96%Complaints responded to within a day
Source: FOX4KC.com
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Complaints responded to within a day | 96% |
The audit found the program out of step with city code in four ways, FOX4 reported. Dr. Marvia Jones, who leads Healthy Homes, said she agrees with the findings and called staffing her department's biggest limitation. Councilman Johnathan Duncan pointed to North Lawn and Cloverleaf as places with problems, especially with out-of-state landlords.
- Program started: summer 2018, from an initiative petition
- Run by: the Kansas City Health Department
- Full audit: the City Auditor's Recent Reports page
The auditor's recommendations answer four gaps in the program
| Gap found | Auditor recommends |
|---|---|
| Appeal board delayed | Mayor's office considers appointing members |
| Eviction cases handled unevenly | Update policies, train staff |
| No safety reports | Require them for permits and renewals |
| No random inspections | Set a yearly percentage |
Source: KCTV
Sources: KCTV, FOX4KC.com