City to offer amnesty to unregistered landlords

Neighborhood Services hopes to increase awareness of registry requirement

COLUMBIA - City officials know there are 22,715 rental units registered in Columbia, but they also know there are landlords who have failed to register their properties.

"We are certain there are more rentals in this city, “ said Leigh Britt, manager of the Office of Neighborhood Services. “We work to try to identify them.”

The Office of Neighborhood Services tries to register all rental property. Registration helps ensure it complies with the city’s Rental Conservation Law, Britt said.

At Tuesday’s Columbia City Council meeting, officials will hear a proposal to establish a period for landlords to register their rental property without fear of prosecution. Landlords who are unregistered ordinarily would be prosecuted for failing to comply with city ordinances.

"If they don’t feel comfortable, this is a time for them to come,” Britt said.

Read the full story at ColumbiaMissourian.com