Hutto staff estimate about 14 percent of Hutto homes are rentals, and a new inspection program proposed to City Council on Oct. 15 could mean increased accountability for both the owners and the inhabitants of those homes.

Development Services Director Helen Ramirez said the proposed rental inspection program would require landlords to purchase an annual permit to rent out their homes. The program would mandate an annual exterior home inspection in addition to an interior inspection prior to rental, she said.

Ramirez said the program was designed to ensure property owners could be easily contacted in the event of an emergency or code violation and to increase communication and accountability between Hutto tenants, landlords and the city.

The proposal received mixed feedback from Hutto City Council members, some of whom questioned the necessity and ethicality of the program.