Safe and Healthy Housing Ordinance

At the July 16th City of Gainesville commission meeting, the long-awaited draft Renters Rights/ Safe and Healthy Housing ordinance was finally voted on and passed unanimously by the City Commission . The ACLC is the initiator of this housing ordinance and we have been working 2 years with many involved ACLC and community members to see this ordinance through so that the rental housing stock does not continue to deteriorate in Alachua County. The anti-housing discrimination ordinance recently passed is part of this bigger ordinance.

Renters in this community are due basic rights and protections such as a safe place to live, freedom from discrimination and predatory landlords, affordable utility bills, and disclosure of their rights and responsibilities as tenants.

The draft ordinance includes:

• Universal, low-cost landlord licensing
• Rental code standards for condition of home
• Inspections to ensure compliance with basic safety and energy/water efficiency standards
• The landlord will be required to show tenants a document that discloses the home’s efficiency rating, assigned by city inspectors.
• Arbitration to resolve rental deposit disputes
• An education component where the landlord will be required to have new tenants sign a copy of the disclosure of renters’ rights and responsibilities.