Shreveport City Council members are seeking stronger enforcement tools against problem landlords, citing a growing number of complaints from residents about broken air conditioning, overflowing trash, and deteriorating apartment conditions.

Concerns Over Tenant Welfare

Council members have received repeated calls from tenants living without air conditioning during triple-digit temperatures and from residents dealing with trash that has gone uncollected for months. Council Chairwoman Tabatha Taylor emphasized the need to find solutions to help constituents who are suffering.

Property Standards Director Terrence Green explained that the city’s authority is limited because many landlord-tenant issues fall under state law rather than municipal code. However, Green suggested that residents should inspect rental units before signing a lease and review federal housing standards before moving into a unit.

Potential Solutions

Council members questioned whether landlords who receive federal housing assistance or tax incentives should face greater oversight if they repeatedly fail to maintain their properties. Councilman Grayson Boucher proposed creating a reporting system that would allow complaints to be shared with the agency overseeing Section 8 housing vouchers, arguing that landlords with repeated violations should risk losing their eligibility to participate in the program.

Assistant City Attorney Zelda Tucker was asked to provide the council with a summary of the city’s rental registry ordinance and its enforcement provisions at a future meeting. The city’s legal department also plans to research whether additional enforcement options exist for properties receiving tax credits or grants.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.