This rented life

Housing advocates say that low-income tenants struggle to find safe and affordable housing in Champaign County and have little recourse in resolve housing problems.

Some local officials say a tenant-landlord lease is a private contractual relationship and should be treated as such.

Champaign systematically inspects the common-areas of apartment building three units or more, while Urbana and Rantoul inspect the interior of all rental property. There are currently no county-wide rental inspection programs.

Should there be rental inspection programs? Why or why not? If so, how extensive should they be?