Greensboro hikes fines for unsafe rentals, aims to speed repairs

Greensboro landlords who leave tenants with mold, leaks, broken heat or other dangerous conditions now face a much steeper bill.

The City Council unanimously approved changes Tuesday, April 22, that raise the first civil penalty for a housing code violation to $500, up from $200, and set a new $100 daily fine for every day the problem remains unresolved after a citation. Properties with more than four violations in a year or two or more in a month also must register with the city, a move aimed at tracking repeat offenders before small problems turn into mass relocations.

The change is meant to give Greensboro more leverage when owners do not move fast enough on repairs. That matters in a city with nearly 131,000 residential addresses, where renters can quickly get stuck waiting while unsafe conditions linger. Greensboro Code Compliance says complaints can come from tenants, landlords, inspectors, other agencies or a petition from five or more residents, and inspectors generally respond within three to five business days. If a dwelling has one major violation or more than five minor violations, the owner can be ordered to fix the problems within 30 days, with up to two 30-day extensions if there is reasonable progress. In emergencies, the city can issue a 48-hour repair-or-vacate notice.

The push for tougher penalties comes after a string of high-profile problem properties. At The District at West Market, city inspectors found burned-out electrical wiring, faulty breakers, altered fire walls, and unpermitted electrical and HVAC work before officials evacuated the building on Dec. 16, 2025 and relocated more than 180 residents. Officials also said some residents went six days without electricity. At Cottage Gardens Apartments, inspectors and reporters documented raw sewage, pests and faulty wiring, and city records later showed 40 active cases in June 2025. FOX8 later reported 35 complaints and fines against the owners, an out-of-town management group based in Greenville, South Carolina.

Maliyah Ijames of Keep Gate City Housed said cases like those are frightening for renters, while City Councilmember Cecile Crawford said the city wants to keep more complexes from deteriorating to that point. Christie Holt, Greensboro’s Code Compliance Administrative Manager, has said inspectors usually begin with tenant complaints and then verify conditions inside units before giving owners time to correct violations. The harder question now is whether Greensboro has enough enforcement muscle to make the higher fines matter. If complaints still pile up faster than repairs, the city’s new penalties could become another warning that landlords are willing to pay instead of a reason to fix dangerous housing sooner.