In a special called meeting Friday morning, the East Ridge City Council passed a resolution asking for the county delegation to the State Legislature to sponsor a measure which would allow the city to establish a residential rental inspection program.

Mayor Brent Lambert said the legislature must first amend a 2006 state law which restricts city’s with population less than 27,000 from establishing such a program. Then East Ridge would begin crafting an ordinance to address dilapidated rental properties.

City officials said they anticipate opposition from special interest groups representing apartment complexes if and when the legislature takes up the issue. However, they are optimistic the law will be changed to allow East Ridge to move forward with its own rental inspection effort.

Kenny Custer, the city’s Chief Building Official, said he has yet to begin to craft rules governing rental inspections. He said one element of the program would be the requirement of landlords to register their property with the city identifying it as rental property. Custer said one problem that codes enforcement officials have experienced in the past is contacting owners of various rental properties that live outside the area. 

Custer said that there are more than 700 rental houses in East Ridge. Custer did not have the specific number of apartment units which would be subject to inspection, but including hotel and motel units it is believed to number several thousand.

The called meeting was necessary because bills cannot be introduced in the State Legislature after this week.