Middletown Borough considering a voluntary rental inspection program.

The Middletown Borough Council President wants to initiate a voluntary rental inspection program for investors:

Middletown Borough Council President Diana McGlone wants to establish a voluntary apartment inspection program.

Her idea, which is in its infancy, is to encourage landlords to have their properties inspected and, in return, those that pass would be placed on a star list of rentals on the borough’s website. Listed properties would be more attractive to renters, said McGlone, who is one of a few council members who owns rental properties in the borough.

While a voluntary program would eliminate most of the legal problems associated with the inspection programs of other municipalities, such a program would create new legal challenges while probably leading to a mandatory program in the future. I am not sure that the Borough wants to be in the business of recommending particular properties to the general public as the "star list" proposal seems to imply.