ATLANTA — U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff continued his investigation into corporate landlords on Tuesday, saying he has heard stories of “mistreatment and abuse.”
Ossoff launched his investigation earlier this month.
Atlanta is a hot spot for corporate landlords. These owners are often national corporations that own more than 50 homes in the metro area.
“As part of this investigation, my staff has interviewed more than 160 witnesses and sources,” Ossoff said. “Georgians have reported to my office being charged undisclosed junk fees, being charged for maintenance and repair.”
Last week, Ossoff focused on the results of a recent study by Georgia State Professor Taylor Shelton that found corporate landlords now own 30% of all single-family rental homes in the metro area.
Shelton told Channel 2’s Michael Doudna that three corporations own nearly 38,000 homes in the Greater Atlanta metro area.
“This is ultimately unlike anything we have ever seen before in American history,” Shelton said. “And so that means that these companies are able to get away with a lot more than they would otherwise because there’s no competition.”
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On Tuesday, Ossoff was flanked by two renters who shared their horror stories with the media.
Shana Brooks Wilhite said her problems began in early December, when her stove and fireplace were leaking carbon monoxide.
“So, I immediately just opened all of the doors, all the windows, and I panicked because I’m like, ‘I know it can kill you,’” Brooks-Wilhite said.
The gas company turned off the gas line that night. However, when she went to her corporate landlord to fix the problem, they said the earliest appointment she could have was three weeks later.
“I just told you I had a carbon monoxide leak in my house. And she was like, ‘That’s all we have,’” Brooks-Wilhite said.
According to a Georgia Tech study, which Channel 2 Action News covered last year, landlords owning more than 50 homes in the metro area were four to five times more likely to have code complaints than rental homes owned by a single individual.
Doudna asked Ossoff when he expects this investigation to turn into legislation, but he didn’t have a firm timeline.
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