Fayetteville City Council member sponsoring ‘Truth In Leasing' ordinance
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Fayetteville City Council member Sarah Moore isn't giving up on getting an ordinance passed related to rental fees and costs.
After Ordinance 6800 — which was passed by the council but is now in the process of getting repealed — Moore has sponsored the 'Truth in Leasing' ordinance, which would require disclosure of rental fees and costs for leased residential properties in the city of Fayetteville.
Moore said this ordinance, among other things, would establish a good preliminary relationship between a landlord and tenant.
'Whenever we are providing all the monthly recurring charges up front, as well as any charges that might exist at the property, I think that it removes a lot of ambiguity,' Moore said.
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The ordinance would require landlords to disclose the costs of the following, but not limited to rent, security deposit, application and background check fees, maintenance fees, utility costs, pet fees, parking fees, late fees and administrative, leasing or miscellaneous fees.
The 'Truth in Leasing' ordinance was introduced in Tuesday's agenda session. It will be heard by the city council for the first time at the next meeting on March 4.
Fayetteville city attorney Kit Williams said he is still reviewing the ordinance to make sure it doesn't break the law. He said the potential issues lie in 'compelled speech' — which is when governments require private entities to label their products — and the feasibility of listing out every single potential cost.
Fayetteville city council tentative agenda, Feb. 25, 2025Download
'If you're advertising on an electronic forum that a lot of renters do now, that probably gives the landlord more free bandwidth to put that information in,' Williams said, 'as opposed to if they were having to pay for an advertisement in a newspaper.'
Moore said this is just one step in trying to help tackle the ongoing housing crisis in Fayetteville, which was first declared in April 2024.
She said the top priority is improving the 'quality of life for all of our residents' by having enough available units not only now but in the future, as well. She said this can be addressed by creating policies to help lower-income people find housing, while also giving seniors available options to downsize from their home as they age — the latter giving a 'different-sized family' the chance to move into the 'more appropriate' place.
This ordinance, Moore said, would help potential renters properly budget during their hunt for housing.
'They get to make a decision about, 'I only have $100 extra this month that I can eke out of my budget, and these application fees are $50 each,'' Moore said. ''I need to apply for multiple properties.''
Moore said you can reach out to her, or any of the council members, at the provided contact information on the city of Fayetteville's website with questions or feedback regarding the ordinance or ongoing housing crisis.
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