City unveils draft landlord registry proposal targeting multifamily units

Proposed rental registry to cost $335,000 in first year

Draft registry mandates tenant rights postings in apartment buildings

City develops geographic information system mapping tool to track problematic rentals

Rental registry discussion fast-tracked for full city council review

Committee considers using mobile home park rules for apartments

City secures commitments for federal housing inspection transparency

City details $2.63 million property maintenance and encampment cleanup budget

1. City unveils draft landlord registry proposal targeting multifamily units

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Topeka Public Health and Safety Committee reviewed a draft landlord registry program on Tuesday designed to target chronically noncompliant rental properties. Presented by property maintenance director John Schardine, the plan initially focuses on residential properties with five or more units. The proposal introduces a tiered inspection system based on a 24-month compliance history, categorizing properties into Tier 1 (inspected every four years), Tier 2 (every two years) and Tier 3 (annually). The registry aims to increase accountability by requiring landlords to provide up-to-date contact information and register within 180 days of the ordinance's effective date.

2. Proposed rental registry to cost $335,000 in first year

TOPEKA, Kan. — Implementing the city's proposed landlord registry program will require approximately $334,932 in its first year, which includes the purchase of two new trucks for inspectors. Property maintenance director John Schardine outlined the staffing requirements, which include two new full-time property maintenance inspectors, an office assistant and a part-time geographic information system position. After initial setup costs, the program's ongoing annual maintenance is estimated at $250,000. City officials intend to offset these expenses by charging landlords an annual fee ranging from $20 to $40 per unit depending on their property's tier status, making the program cost-neutral for taxpayers.

3. Draft registry mandates tenant rights postings in apartment buildings

TOPEKA, Kan. — Under the city's new draft landlord registry program, landlords of registered multifamily properties will be required to increase transparency regarding tenant rights and city codes. Property owners must post a city-issued tier status certificate and a one-page tenant rights summary in clearly visible common areas. Additionally, landlords will be required to provide a tenant rights brochure to all new and renewing residents at the time of lease signing. The mandates are designed to ensure residents understand their reporting options, available resources and the 24-hour emergency contact information for property managers.

4. City develops geographic information system mapping tool to track problematic rentals

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Topeka Information Technology Department is building a geographic information system mapping tool to publicly track the compliance status of large rental properties. GIS manager Travis Lathrop told the committee that Phase 1 of the map has already identified approximately 300 parcels containing more than 12,000 rental units across the city. Once the rental registry is enacted, the map will use a color-coded system — green, yellow and red — to indicate a property's tier status and history of code violations. The map will eventually be hosted on a public-facing website, allowing residents to view inspection statuses and providing a visual tool for code enforcement officers.

5. Rental registry discussion fast-tracked for full city council review

TOPEKA, Kan. — Despite being scheduled strictly as a public input session, discussions surrounding the proposed landlord registry program will be fast-tracked to the full city council. City Manager Robert Perez said the item would be brought to the council for discussion by July 21, citing upcoming budget implications. Several tenant advocates and committee members supported the expedited timeline to prevent the legislation from stalling in committee. The move ensures the full council will have the opportunity to debate the financial and regulatory impacts of the registry ahead of the city's budget finalization.

6. Committee considers using mobile home park rules for apartments

TOPEKA, Kan. — A committee member suggested utilizing the city's existing mobile home park ordinance as a framework for enforcing codes in multifamily rental units. During Tuesday's meeting, it was noted that the current mobile home ordinance grants the code enforcement director the authority to revoke licenses for unsanitary or unsafe conditions. The committee asked city legal staff to research whether similar stringent revocation and suspension methods could be legally applied to apartment complexes to hold noncompliant property owners accountable.

7. City secures commitments for federal housing inspection transparency

TOPEKA, Kan. — Following concerns about substandard conditions at local apartment complexes, the city has secured commitments from federal and state housing agencies to share their annual inspection data. Carrie Higgins of the Housing Services Division reported that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Kansas Housing Resources Corp. have agreed to coordinate with the city to provide annual inspection reports for federally funded properties. The collaboration aims to close oversight gaps and prevent the future displacement of tenants by ensuring that internal inspections for over 5,000 government-assisted units are tracked locally.

8. City details $2.63 million property maintenance and encampment cleanup budget

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Topeka property maintenance unit faces a proposed 2026 budget of $2.45 million to support its 20 full-time employees, according to the committee. Additionally, it was noted that clearing homeless encampments costs the city approximately $388,000 annually across four different departments. Of that total, $180,000 comes directly from the property maintenance budget, bringing the unit's proposed dedicated spending to $2.63 million. These figures were highlighted to demonstrate the substantial taxpayer resources already dedicated to property maintenance and cleanups as the committee considers adding new rental registry initiatives.

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