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Tenant Bill of Rights

Watauga County has no minimum housing code outside Boone town limits. If your landlord won't fix the heat or address black mold, you have no recourse. That changes with this ordinance.
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The Problem

Right now, if you rent outside Boone town limits and your landlord refuses to fix dangerous conditions, you have no one to call. The county has no enforcement mechanism. No minimum housing code. Nothing.

In May 2023, 700 Watauga residents asked County Commissioners to adopt basic tenant protections. Ray Russell and the board thanked them, proposed a study board, and did nothing. That study board never formed. No action was taken.

99% Rental Occupancy Rate
5,177 Unit Housing Shortage
0 County Housing Codes
27 NC Counties With Codes

The Four Articles

ARTICLE I
Minimum Housing Standards
  • Working heat, electricity, plumbing, and hot water
  • Intact floors, safe stairs, and railings
  • Weather-tight windows and doors with secure locks
  • Freedom from mold, lead hazards, and pest infestations
  • Functioning smoke detectors on every level
  • Safe electrical and heating systems
ARTICLE II
County Enforcement
  • File complaints with County Planning & Inspections
  • County inspects within 5 business days
  • Landlords receive written notice of violations
  • 30-day compliance period for standard repairs
  • 24-hour response for emergencies
  • No expensive lawyers required
ARTICLE III
Legal Defense Protection
  • Protection against eviction during unaddressed violations
  • Right to raise habitability as legal defense in court
  • County court enforcement mechanism
  • Modeled after Charlotte, Pittsboro, and Pineville ordinances
ARTICLE IV
Anti-Retaliation Protections
  • Cannot be evicted for requesting repairs
  • Cannot be evicted for filing complaints
  • Cannot face rent increases as punishment
  • Right to organize with other tenants
  • 12-month protection period after complaints

Why This Works

"Won't housing codes make our shortage worse?" No — the opposite is true.

Right now, buildings deteriorate until they're condemned and lost forever. Housing codes require maintenance before properties slide into irreversible condemnation, keeping units in the market.

"We're not asking for granite counters or anything that'd burden landlords. We're asking for heat that works and floors that don't collapse."
— David Luther

27 North Carolina counties have minimum housing standards, including rural counties like Henderson and Stanly. Their housing markets didn't collapse. Their rental supply didn't disappear.

Boone already has this within town limits under Chapter 151 of Boone's Code of Ordinances. It works. Now the whole county needs it.

The Bigger Picture

Watauga County has zoning that controls what you can build — an extra bedroom, a potential rental unit. We regulate property.

But we have no countywide code that protects people from living in dangerous conditions when demand outpaces supply and they've got no choice but to take what they can get.

We protect property but not people. That's backwards.
If a business model requires making people sick or living in unacceptable conditions, that's not housing — that's exploitation of a housing crisis.

Good landlords have nothing to fear from basic safety standards. This ordinance targets the bad actors who profit from our housing shortage while putting tenants at risk.

Day One Priority

The previous Democrat commission had control in 2023 and 2024 but did nothing. I won't waste another two years while people live in dangerous conditions. This will be my first proposal as County Commissioner.

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