Hemet's blight ordinance misses the mark, is punitive, and will be bad for business.

On September 24, the Hemet City Council passed a rental registration ordinance aimed at

addressing the problem of blight throughout the city. It passed 4 – 1 with Councilwoman Shellie Milne

voting no on the measure. The ordinance requires that landlords register their rental properties with the

city, pay for and submit to inspections and undergo “crime-free housing training”. The ordinance,

which stems from resident complaints about blight, is unfair to landlords, and does not address the root

cause of blight, irresponsible tenants.

The root causes of blight in Hemet are the same as in any other city in America today and

have little to do with the landlords. It is irresponsible tenants that cause blight. It is irresponsible

tenants who would rather spend their welfare checks on alcohol and drugs rather than pay their rent.

Without receiving the rents from moochers who are trying to live rent free, there is no money left for

managing property and making necessary repairs. What is worse, now we have a harmful new city

ordinance that makes it more difficult for the taxpaying property owner to manage his property since

the ordinance will ultimately result in property owners paying out more money in both fees and fines.

The Hemet city council, in their attempt to satisfy some residents complaints about blight,

have ignored the on-going problem of free loading irresponsible tenants who skip out on months of

rent while leaving behind an often trashed rental for the property owner to repair at much out-of-

pocket cost. Even if he wins a monetary judgment in his favor for his losses, he usually is never

able to collect or recoup as these freeloaders are mostly judgment proof.

Hemet's City Council has honorable intentions