NLIHC’s State and Local Innovation (SLI) project released on October 2 a new publication exploring laws limiting rental junk fees in Connecticut and Rhode Island. The publication is the newest installment of NLIHC’s State and Local Tenant Protection Series: A Primer on Renters’ Rights, a collection of resources aiming to shape the conversation about state and local tenant protections. Read the new case study.
In recent years, the cost of housing has far outpaced wages for millions of renters, forcing many households to spend a greater and greater share of their income on rent and other rental expenses. These additional rental expenses often include fees related to the rental and occupancy of a unit, such as application fees, processing fees, pet fees, convenience fees, administrative fees, late fees, and other fees that raise total rental costs. Commonly known as “junk fees,” these costs are often undisclosed, unpredictable, and arbitrary, and they can quickly accumulate for tenants, putting safe and decent rental housing even more out of reach for the lowest-income and most marginalized renters, who already tend to spend most of their income on rent.
While no federal protections currently exist to regulate excessive rental fees for renters in the private rental market, a growing number of state and local legislatures have passed laws limiting rental junk fees. The new publication explores legislation enacted by two states – Connecticut and Rhode Island – to address rental junk fees. Connecticut’s “Senate Bill 998” regulates rental application fees, security deposit fees, tenant screening fees, and late payments for non-payment of rent. Rhode Island’s “House Bill 6087” focuses on rental application fees. The case studies explore the core components of each piece of legislation while also discussing the efforts undertaken by housing advocates in each state that led to passage of the laws.
Like other materials in the State and Local Tenant Protection Series, the new publication is meant to help state and local advocates identify successful tactics for advancing, enacting, and implementing just cause protections in their own jurisdictions, as well as to offer insights into the challenges that can occur during the advocacy and legislative processes. The case studies also highlight the qualitative impact of these protections for tenants and how such laws can be critical in mitigating the threat of housing instability.
NLIHC will publish two more case studies this year exploring additional tenant protections that can work in tandem with rental junk fee laws to ensure housing stability and prevent evictions. Explore NLIHC’s State and Local Tenant Protections Database to learn about the more than 600 tenant protections that have been enacted in states and localities around the country.
Download the new case study here.
Learn more about NLIHC's SLI project here.