Officials in West Valley City, Utah, with the help of the Utah Apartment Association (UAA), created the Good Landlord Program in Summer 2007. More than two years into the program, the officials are calling it a success and hoping to see it grow further.
The program encourages apartment owners to improve their communities and carefully screen residents. The results are clear. Local authorities note that the number of calls to police in the Utah market Arlington Park plunged 73 percent from 2006 to 2009.
In May 2008, there were about 40 area apartment owners enrolled in the program. By the end of last year, that total exceeded 300.
To be a part of the program, owners must pay $59 for an eight-hour property management training every two years. In addition, they are required to have a city business license.
Those participating in the program have their license fees reduced by $70 per unit. Apartment residents, meanwhile, must pass criminal background checks in order to be approved for housing.
Contact UAA’s Paul Smith at 801/487-5619 or paul@uaahq.org for information.