Mayor Allender says Rapid City has a slumlord epidemic

When it comes to the regulating of short-term rentals in Rapid City, Mayor Steve Allender feels the city is squabbling too much over one complaint.

Allender has arranged a meeting with key staff members this week to try to find a solution for short-term rentals and Air bnb's.

The mayor also voiced his concern over the major problem Rapid City has regarding long-term rentals. Allender says he tried to address the issue in 2011 when he was chief of police.

The issue at hand is certain land lords getting rich at the expense of low income people needing housing.

"Landlords or slumlords are making money on the poorest people who desperately need housing," Allender said. "People renting the place won't complain because they don't want to get evicted because then they won't be able to find anywhere else. It's kind of a sick arrangement between the landlord and the tenant. I'll let you rent my place and not do a background check on you or call your references but you don't complain about anything."

Allender said in a letter to the city council that Rapid City has a "slumlord" epidemic that is carried out behind the shield of "free enterprise" or some other gutless reasoning.