Columbia tenants may see a slight increase in rent in the coming years. City council members approved an amendment to the city code that raises the rates for rental inspections that landlords are required to schedule. Stanley Diaz owns properties throughout the city and says he might have to raise rates because of the increased inspection costs.
“We’re having a difficult time, and we’re going to have to explain to tenants why the rents are going to have to come up, which I’ve been resisting and I know other landlords have too because these are difficult times," Diaz says. "The incomes have not been going up for our tenants to justify these increases.”
One tenant expressed her support for the increased cost at last night’s meeting. She says she wants inspections to have enough funding because they only happen every three years. The council approved increased rates for the initial inspections, any re-inspections and the penalty for no-shows on inspection day.