Minneapolis council members advance proposal targeting problem landlords
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A proposal moving forward at Minneapolis City Hall seeks to pressure negligent landlords to uphold livable conditions in their properties.
Members of a city council committee voted Tuesday to pass the ordinance forward after listening to public testimony.
Under the ordinance, only Tier 3 properties — those with the most violations — would come before the council.
Andrew Fahlstrom testified about an experience he had walking with an inspector through a Tier 3 building. He described what happened after the inspector examined a hole in the ceiling.
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“He touched it. An avalanche of roaches came down on his head, and he had to brush them off,” he said. “This is a license that had been automatically renewed by the City of Minneapolis in Tier 3 housing.”
Some people who testified in favor of the ordinance said that the existing process of calling 311 to report problems like pests, mold and broken heating systems during winter months has rarely led to fixes.
However, others, including council member Andrea Jenkins, expressed concern that the ordinance could lead to displacement if licenses are revoked.
Council member Katie Cashman, who co-authored the ordinance, said license revocation is not the goal.
“What it is intending to do is to create a moment of conversation when that license comes for renewal,” she said. “There’s an opportunity for council members, for city staff, the owner and the tenants to come together on resolving the issues that have made it tenable for the residents who live there.”
Jenkins voted to send the ordinance forward.
If the ordinance is passed next week, starting in 2027, the council will hold public hearings and vote on whether to renew licenses for properties that have been repeatedly flagged for violations.
