Wilmington Acts To Protect The Living Conditions Of Tenants And Improve City Neighborhoods

Press release from the City of Wilmington:

February 19, 2021

Landlords who continually fail to repair housing code infractions will receive weekly $250 fines per violation beginning July 1; Mayor thanks the ten Members of Council who stood up for tenants

Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki today thanked the ten Members of Wilmington City Council who last night ended a five-year legislative stalemate and voted to enact greater protections for individuals, children, and families who rent their homes. The Council approved reforms to the City’s Housing Code that will end the practice of landlords refusing for months, or even as much as a year, to repair code violations. The new law, which takes effect July 1, will ensure that tenants throughout the City have a much better chance of living in safer, cleaner, and more comfortable housing.

The City estimates that about 50% of all housing in Wilmington is rental versus home ownership, which Mayor Purzycki said demonstrates why passage of the new law was so important. Under its provisions, landlords who continually ignore the repair of code violations, as cited by Licenses and Inspections, will be fined $250 per week, per violation, until the code infraction is resolved.

“This five-year effort to reform the housing code has been about ensuring that landlords are properly licensed and that they respect their tenants’ right to live safely and comfortably,” Mayor Purzycki said. “It shouldn’t have taken this long, but finally we’ve reached a point where the people who choose to be in the business of property rentals have to accept their responsibility to their tenants and to the neighborhoods in which their properties are located.”

Mayor Purzycki today thanked and commended the lead sponsor of the new housing code reform law, At-Large Council Member Maria Cabrera, and her six Council co-sponsors—Zanthia Oliver, Bregetta Fields, Christofer Johnson, Loretta Walsh, James Spadola, and Nathan Field. The Mayor also offered his appreciation to three other Council Members who listened to all the arguments as the legislation was debated and chose to support the new law and the tenants of Wilmington. They are Council Members Linda Gray, Michelle Harlee, and Yolanda McCoy.

Mayor Purzycki said the Thursday night approval of the housing code reform ordinance would not have been possible without the commitment of former At-Large and 8th District Council Member Charles “Bud” Freel, who started the drive to improve the lives of people living in rental housing more than five years ago.

“Most of the landlords who conduct business in Wilmington do so legally and are committed to providing decent, affordable housing for tenants,” said Mayor Purzycki. “They do not have to worry about this new law, and I applaud them for their efforts. Those however, who have for years benefitted from an ineffective enforcement system, need to step forward, change their business practices, protect their investment, and protect the people who trust them to provide appropriate housing. We do not want to fine landlords, we want them to comply with the law to help us further strengthen our City’s neighborhoods.”

This press release was produced by the City of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.