One of Albany’s greatest problems is that of absentee landlords, those who own and rent out properties without properly caring for said properties. That makes it not just a quality of life issue, but an issue of safety. Safety for tenants, guests and passersby must be one of our city’s highest priorities.
Along with safety and quality of life issues, the issue of eyesores is important. No one wants to walk by an apartment building that is poorly maintained and that looks unpleasant. It’s bad enough for the residents, but how will tourists and potential new residents feel about it all? It’s not a good look for Albany.
As Albany’s next mayor, I will, along with the APD and other departments, harshly punish absentee landlords by way of stronger laws and codes enforcement. I will also hold landlords to a much higher standard than they are now and I will make it so that absentee landlords who, after being given two chances, will forfeit the properties that they refuse to maintain.
I will then auction off those buildings to tenants and property management companies that can fix the problem as opposed to causing the problem. Let’s see my opponents do that!
Under my leadership, absentee landlords will quickly find that the time for games is over. It’s time for them to step up and do the right thing. If they won’t do it on their own, I’ll do it for them.