Licensing - Maintenance: Policy Issue
Overview
Occupational licensing requirements are typically enacted under the guise of improving quality or public safety, but this argument rarely holds up to scrutiny. Research conducted by the U.S. Department of Treasury (Treasury) has shown that tougher professional licensing regulations are not indicative of the quality of service being rendered. Overall, licensure requirements drive up costs for consumers, act as a barrier to entry into the labor force and limit the mobility of individuals who possess a professional license.
Industry Position
The National Apartment Association (NAA) urges lawmakers to reject proposals that require licensing of property maintenance staff, and instead consider more effective approaches such as encouraging certification through qualifying programs, such as NAA’s Certificate for Apartment Maintenance for Technicians (CAMT).
As an Owner or Operator, How Does this Affect My Business?
In the context of the apartment industry, states often require property maintenance staff to submit to licensing requirements when they perform routine maintenance on a community’s electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems. From the perspective of labor unions and their advocates, licensure laws and regulations protect the work of tradesmen who are highly trained to perform extensive work such as a major electrical installation. Apartment maintenance staff should be exempt from such requirements because their duties are far more limited in scope. Maintenance technicians perform more basic tasks that one would typically associate with a handyman.
The industry is already highly regulated by federal, state and local laws and numerous regulatory agencies which govern apartment leasing and property management. Ultimately, mandating licensure for apartment property staff is redundant, expensive, exacerbates labor shortages, and increases costs for consumers.
Contact Information
To learn more about this issue, please contact NAA's Public Policy team.
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