ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Asheville City Council will consider new protections for tenants living in unsafe housing Tuesday, along with a plan to begin mapping out the future of more than 50 acres in the Deaverview neighborhood.
The tenant proposal would make it unlawful for a property owner to collect rent from a tenant living in a dwelling that a city code enforcement officer determines is unfit for human occupancy, unsafe and a threat to life or property. The ordinance also would prohibit an owner from allowing another person to move into such a dwelling.
The proposed protections would cover a range of serious conditions, including inadequate water or hot water, unsafe electrical systems, missing or nonfunctioning smoke detectors, structural problems, missing roofs, blocked or unsafe exits and other life-safety hazards. The proposal was brought forward by the Asheville Area Tenants Union. City staff helped prepare the agenda materials but is not making a recommendation on the ordinance…