Gary Sands, associate professor in the Geography and Urban Planning Department, commented about the city of Detroit's efforts to reduce squalor in rentals by requiring annual inspections and levying fines. Detroit is forcing more landlords to register with the city, boosting registrations of one- and two-unit rentals from 5,000 in 2003 to close to 19,000 today. And with registration comes a yearly inspection, a chance for the city to force landlords to keep up their property or face fines from $4,200 to $10,000. Sands said that the code enforcement, such as the one Detroit is now using, has worked to stabilize housing quality in other cities at the cost of higher rent for tenants.