arkansas landlord tenant law: the case for a warranty of habitability regarding the public’s...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Arkansas Landlord Tenant Law: The Case for a Warranty of Habitability Regarding the Public’s Health Nate Willis II](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022072005/56649cea5503460f949b4cb0/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Arkansas Landlord Tenant Law: The Case for a Warranty of Habitability Regarding the
Public’s Health
Nate Willis II
![Page 2: Arkansas Landlord Tenant Law: The Case for a Warranty of Habitability Regarding the Public’s Health Nate Willis II](https://reader035.vdocument.in/reader035/viewer/2022072005/56649cea5503460f949b4cb0/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Presentation Agenda
• Background of Arkansas Tenant Law and Health• Arkansas Renters and Health Outcomes• Warranty of Habitability Implications for Health• Warranty of Habitability Economical
Implications• Policy Implications• Concluding Remarks
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Background
• Currently evidence pertaining to housing Laws and Health does not exist for state of Arkansas.
• Pro-tenant provisions to promote health and safety are void.
• Historically, the warranty of habitability has a history for protecting health and safety of tenants.
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Renters and Health Outcomes
• Historically low-income renters have not stood a chance to not only win, but never stood a chance to demonstrate their case for a landlord to provide habitable conditions in a court of law.
• In Arkansas, there are thousands of third world housing unit conditions being leased that contribute to poor health outcomes across the state.
• Out of the top 10 counties with the highest renter-occupied proportions, 7 of them received substantially poor health outcome rankings.
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Implications for Health
• Current law does not require landlords to provide a habitable dwelling for protection against molds, insect infestations, toxic intrusions, and exposure from the elements.
• Lack of the most basic facilities in leased housing units across the state contributes to the reported 51% of Arkansas families that encounter housing insecurity, which in turn affects their health.
• Current law does not require landlords to maintain rental properties. Respiratory effects such as asthma, can be attributed to improper insulation and dampness from improper maintenance of housing units.
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Economical Implications
• Evidence suggests that upkeep of residential tenement buildings can have a beneficial effect on a state’s economy.
• Exertion of downward pressure on rents has a strong possibility to occur while increasing the supply of low-income housing.
• An enforceable warranty of habitability can have positive implications to reduce health costs across the state.
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Policy Implications
• Revision of Arkansas landlord-tenant law with an enforceable warranty of habitability may promote health and economic prosperity within the state.
• Incorporating the warranty of habitability offers fairness and balance for both landlord and tenant in a revised Arkansas landlord-tenant law.
• Positive unintended consequences of en enforceable warranty of habitability can be in effect with minimal effort or extra costs incurred to the state.
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Concluding Remarks
• Arkansas has a relatively large proportion of renters in impoverished areas.
• Low-income renters may face undue hardships from ‘milking’ strategies that put them at risk for unforeseeable negative health outcomes.
• Landlords, tenants, and the state of Arkansas have an opportunity to benefit from an enforceable warranty of habitability from an economic and public health perspective.