University Times

Pitt and city officials hit the Oakland streets this month for another “redd up Oakland” inspection tour designed to counter landlord abuses, identify dilapidated properties and educate tenants in Oakland’s student-heavy residential sections.

Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, flanked by two city building inspectors and three code enforcement officers, reprised their surprise inspection tour Aug. 20 to coincide with the return of students for the fall term. Similar inspection tours were held last August and in May.

Officials agreed that the inspection tours have stimulated improvements. Last August, for example, city inspectors issued more than 200 citations in Central Oakland; this month, they cited 75 violations in the same area, said Ron Graziano, chief of the city’s Bureau of Building Inspections.

The numbers were similar in South Oakland. “This is the second time we’ve been in South Oakland,” Graziano said. “We were out here in [the spring], and we cited approximately 200 property owners.” Last week, they cited 85, he said. “So, the numbers are going down and that means we are having a positive impact.”

Nordenberg agreed that there are signs of progress in conditions since last year. “Last year, it seemed as if the streets were really filled with litter compared to what we’re seeing today, and we saw much more frequent violations that seemed obvious even to me — rickety railings on porches and things like that that would not be safe. The walk this morning really has been encouraging because there are signs of progress,” he said.

According to Graziano, in South Oakland most of the citations were for debris, graffiti and overgrown weeds, although 18 of the citations were for building or occupancy code violations.

“The landlords have 30 days for the more serious violations, such as code violations, to fix the problem and then notify the inspector to return for an inspection. If they do that, we abate the violation. If that doesn’t happen, we turn it over to the magistrate for further action,” Graziano said.

In addition to looking for violations, inspectors hoped to educate renters about their rights, and to get permission from tenants to inspect apartments for code violations, Graziano added. A renter’s permission is a prerequisite for inspectors to enter an apartment, he noted.

For Pitt’s part, the University distributes informational fliers and last spring launched an expanded web site — www.ocl.pitt.edu/ — through its Off-Campus Living Office. The site includes a renter’s guide and information on apartments, sublets, roommate-matching and landlord services. As a central source of information regarding rental properties, the site lists only apartments and houses that pass BBI inspection, Pitt officials said.

The University also pays half the salary of a building inspector assigned to Oakland.

—Peter Hart