By Ray King
A proposed ordinance establishing minimum standards for housing and to protect tenants from hazardous housing conditions was read for the first time Monday by the Pine Bluff City Council.
According to the proposed ordinance, Arkansas is regarded as the only state that has not enacted an implied warranty of habitability equal to other states which would require landlords to maintain safe, sanitary and livable conditions for tenants in their rental properties.
Also, according to the proposed ordinance, an estimated 48 percent of homes in Pine Bluff are currently rented-occupied, according to the recent census, which is higher than the state average.
Council member William Fells is one of the sponsors of the ordinance and he talked to Deltaplex News about it.
Among other things, the Ordinance provides that Code Enforcement is the agency designated to investigate complaints and violators could face a fine of up to $1,000 or double that for each repetition.
The proposed ordinance will be read twice more before a final vote.
