Review Finds Lax Supervision Hurts Austin Tenants

A review finds lax regulations, insufficient enforcement and overwhelmed inspectors have added up to poor living conditions for thousands of apartment and rental property dwellers in Austin, Texas.

The Austin American-Statesman reported Sunday that city code inspectors handle as many as 500 cases at any given time – double what’s considered a full load by their supervisors.

Records show the city has only cited owners for 153 of the more than 1,600 code violations documented since 2007.

Tenant advocates say most apartment complexes with the worst problems belong to out-of-state investors who specialize in buying aging properties and extracting profits before reselling.

Austin City Council member Kathie Tovo says it should be a priority to make sure everyone has safe housing.