Twinsburgbulletin.com - 'Invasive' inspection law for rentals?

I moved to Twinsburg from Cleveland Heights 32 years ago.

The city of Cleveland had adopted what I felt was a draconian and invasive housing inspection code. For instance, if someone had casement windows that had one window weight broken, it had to be fixed, even though the window still opened easily. This was an expensive and damaging carpentry job since the weights were in the wall. If someone had an electrical plug that was not working, people either had to make it work or wall over the outlet.

Cleveland's long checklist of requirements, all requiring permits for anything since a compliance followup took place, could get expensive, especially for fixed- or low-income property owners.

Many were trapped into multiple hearings before the housing court, having to beg to stretch their repairs up to a year to divert scarce money to comply.

Now the city of Twinsburg wants all rental properties to be inspected, as well as "garages and sheds" ("Law would create 3-year cycle for property inspection," April 17 Twinsburg Bulletin). The city building commissioner states he has "a lengthy checklist" that will take an hour to complete, just for the property's exterior. The proposed law is also periodic and not tied to a point of sale.

The city already has three avenues available to inspect: Based on a complaint from a renter, on probable cause or from public information via the Ohio Landlord-Tenant law.

If the city enacts this law I think there will be few rental units left in the city to inspect. I challenge this newspaper to publish the city's proposed inspection list so everyone will know, in my opinion, just how intrusive, unworthy and unnecessary this proposal is.

Duane L. Doyle

Twinsburg