Springfield Rental Inspection Pilot Program to Launch March 23, 2026
A long-awaited program establishing an inspection process for rental units in Springfield will get underway on a trial basis on March 23. To prepare both landlords and tenants for the program's start, the city is hosting information sessions.
Springfield City Council unanimously approved a rental inspection pilot program in November. Starting March 23, the city will begin inspections of single-family and duplex rentals in the West Central neighborhood.
All 1,541 properties that apply to the program will be inspected within the pilot period. The narrowed approach, involving only West Central. is a way to gather data and refine the program before potentially expanding it citywide. The pilot program will run for a year before being reviewed.
West Central is bordered on the north by Chestnut Expressway, on the south by Grand Street, on the east by Kimbrough Avenue and on the west by Kansas Expressway.
What to know about the program
Starting March 23, property owners in West Central will be able to register their properties and apply for their rental licenses on Slate, a platform linked on www.springfieldmo.gov/rentals. Registration costs $35 per year and includes the first inspection. Follow-up inspections may include additional fees.
Inspectors will evaluate properties for habitability, ensuring units are safe, sanitary and fit for human habitation, according to a city news release. Items considered include roof condition, condition of windows and walls, evidence of an insect or rodent infestation and whether the dwelling lacks minimum kitchen and cooking facilities. Landlords whose properties fail inspection and re-inspection could incur fines through administrative hearings and Municipal Court, according to the release.
The city's Building Development Services will notify tenants of an upcoming inspection at least 14 days prior to the inspection date. Notice would include an entry consent for the tenant to then return to BDS. No response would be considered a refusal of the tenant for BDS to enter, in which case an administrative search warrant would then be requested by BDS.
Once a property has passed inspection, a certificate of compliance will be issued that must be posted by the owner on the property, along with the rental license.
To help inform both landlords and tenants of the program, BDS staff will hold two informational meetings. A meeting on Tuesday, March 17 will be for property owners, with BDS staff available to assist with rental property registration. A meeting will be held for tenants on Thursday, March 19. Both meetings will take place at the Resurrection Church, at 545 S. Broadway Ave., from 6-8 p.m.
How much will program cost?
Getting the initial program up and running is expected to cost about $238,000. While registration fees will recoup some of that amount, due to the more limited approach to the pilot program, the city is still footing the majority of the bill. That amount includes hiring two additional staff members — a residential building inspector and an office administrator.
Council originally earmarked nearly $460,000 in the city's budget to fund rental inspections, shifting that money away from renovations to the first-floor lobby at the Busch Municipal Building. However, later adjustments to the pilot lowered the costs initially expected.
The program also requires additional equipment, such as a vehicle for the inspector, computers and printers, and office construction. The online platform used for registration and tracking progress, Slate, costs $15,000 in the first year, but would increase to $40,000 if the program expands.
After the first 12 months of the program, BDS will review several metrics, including how much housing conditions have improved, the percentage of properties brought up to code within 30 and 60 days of inspection, feedback from landlords and tenants and how well the program could be scaled up.
The West Central Neighborhood Alliance has been supportive of the program and hopeful that the efforts will help address some chronic issues with "small number of problem landlords," according to the release. The rental inspection program came to fruition after council saw increasing pressure to improve housing conditions from the local tenants' union. A housing study completed in 2023 also recommended rental inspections. Some landlords spoke in opposition to the program ahead of council's vote on the matter.