Editorial: A hit: The Henderson code

Thursday, June 8, 2006 | 7:32 a.m.

In exchange for their monthly rent payments, tenants have a right to believe that everything connected with the apartment - the dishwasher, the electrical outlets, the air conditioning, the kitchen and bathroom fixtures - will work. And they have a right to expect that bathtubs, sinks, cabinets and everything else in place for their use will be in reasonable shape.

They also have a right to believe that if an appliance, fixture or outlet stops working, or that if basic infrastructure begins to badly deteriorate, the landlord will promptly order repairs.

Most communities, including Las Vegas and Henderson, augment a tenant's belief in these rights with building-maintenance codes that legally mandate them. Henderson, however, is only just now considering a code that would serve as a recourse for tenants whose landlords ignore their requests for essential repairs.

Las Vegas Sun reporter Brian Wargo reported Wednesday about a woman who has been trying since October to get the landlord of her apartment to make several essential repairs, including one to a broken window. The landlord claims she never mentioned the needed repairs until after he served her with an eviction notice for withholding rent payments.

A maintenance code could help prevent such problems. Complaints could be forwarded to a city inspector, who would visit the rental unit. If the complaints were valid, the landlord would be ordered to make repairs or face fines until he did.

A maintenance code should also offer recourse to residents who object to neighboring properties that fall into disrepair.

One possibility is that landlords would take advantage of their tenants and unjustly raise rents if forced to make repairs. Even still, we believe most tenants would appreciate having a recourse in the event of an intransigent landlord. We hope the Henderson City Council adopts such a code.