A Slumlord Escape Hatch?

I don't like the sound of this at all:

City lawmakers are moving closer to deciding whether to pass a law that would make tenants responsible for what landlords typically have been required to do as property owners.

[. . .]

[Kingston Alderman Robert] Senor said the proposal would not take the place of laws requiring landlords to maintain their properties but would give a landlord the ability to put the blame on tenants when they do not take appropriate care of a dwelling.

I guess landlords are barred from collecting security deposits in Kingston. I guess they're also barred from the court system. Having tenants sign leases must also be something that isn't done in Kingston.

Listening to this asinine debate, over something as simple as issuing an annual rental permit, is about as mind-numbing as it gets. Kingston lawmakers are a sorry bunch, I'm afraid.