5 days ago
City of Albuquerque proposes Renters' Bill of Rights to hold landlords accountable
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Albuquerque city leaders are considering new rules to help hold rental landlords' feet to the fire over hidden costs and complicated contracts. The city said the rules would force landlords to be clear about charges and better enable the city to check in on bad properties through a registration system.
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'We know a lot of families are living in unsafe or unpredictable conditions. This ordinance is a response to that. This is really another response to the housing crisis. It's about giving renters basic transparency protections and some stability,' said Shanna Schultz with the CABQ Office of Policy & Government Affairs.
City leaders are calling the idea the RENT ordinance, which stands for 'Renter's Empowerment and Neighborhood Transparency.' Among the ideas, landlords would be forced to review applications first-come, first-served. It would also stop 'pet rent,' where people are charged extra each month for having an animal.
The city also wants landlords to accept all kinds of rent payments with no fees or extra charges, whether it's cash, check, or electronic. 'Addressing the housing crisis is not just about building more units, it's also about making sure that homes people already have are fair, safe, and secure conditions,' said Schultz.
The new rules also look to require landlords to clearly list costs tenants could face upfront before getting locked into a lease. There's also a push to make what would be the city's first rental registration system, so the city has contact info for landlords.
The bill is being introduced in Monday night's Albuquerque City Council meeting, but it could go up for a final vote in two weeks before the council takes the month of July off.
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