Missouri city mulls over rental screening program

City officials in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, have been working with the Cape Area Landlord Association (CALA) to create a tenant background screening solution that will satisfy landlords and residents alike, the Southeast Missourian reports. The prospect of a rental inspection program was announced in June. It would require all units to obtain a certificate of compliance issued by the city. The cost of each certificate would be between $25 and $35, and approved units would be subject to follow-up inspections every three years. "Part of the reason we wanted to do this is we realized some landlords were having problems with screening of tenants, how to evict tenants and problems with knowing when something goes from civil to criminal," CALA's Bob Blasiney told the news source. "We're trying to create a better tenant base and also resolve problems quicker so we have a better rapport with homeowners." While the proposal would likely create safer, more desirable living, CALA president Jason Coalter remains wary of how landlords will react to the additional expense, and tenants to the invasion of privacy. The news source notes in a separate article that because some of the rentals up for inspection are less than one year old, residents feel the program would be an unnecessary expense.