Slumlords Beware: Mayor Budgets for Special Enforcement Team

Karina Villanueva, a onetime tenant of Bankim Shah, shows a photo of mold above her shower

Slumlords beware: Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s draft budget is out Monday, and it includes money for a team dedicated to rooting out problem landlords.

Faulconer wants to fund four new code enforcement officers to focus on property owners who maintain substandard conditions in their rentals. From the mayor’s budget proposal:

This team will be assigned to specifically target geographic areas known to contain substandard housing problems to proactively ensure compliance with housing standards as defined in the Municipal Code and the California Health and Safety Code.

The action comes after Faulconer told KPBS he would “send a clear message” to landlords who repeatedly