Back to drawing board for rental inspection rule in Upper Burrell

The Upper Burrell supervisors tabled a proposal to require inspections of rental units after some residents who are landlords complained about the proposed regulations and potential costs.

After a draft of the inspection proposal circulated, township landlords such as Pearl Jones asked supervisors to reconsider passing it Wednesday.

Supervisors Chairman Ross Walker said the township put the proposal together after a tenant found themselves in an apartment full of mold. Something needs to be done to protect renters and make sure landlords meet standards, Walker said.

Some residents objected because it was just one incident and the landlord was from out of town.

“Why should the rest of us pay for something someone else did?” asked Pearl Jones, a township resident who has one rental unit.

Although no fee was mentioned during the meeting, some residents balked at paying a fee.

Dave Knox, the township’s emergency management coordinator, said some inspection should be done to ensure rental units have essential safety features such as operating smoke detectors.

“We’ll start over. We’ll consider what everyone is saying here and work it out,” Walker said.