Latest news with #Renter'sEmpowermentandNeighborhoodTransparency
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Albuquerque RENT Ordinance fails in committee after landlord pushback
Jun. 11—An Albuquerque City Council committee on Wednesday voted down a proposed set of regulations intended to increase the power of renters and comprehensively regulate landlords after the latter expressed concern that the bill was an overreach and would negatively affect the rental market. The bill died after 3-2 vote in the Land Use, Planning, and Zoning Committee. But Shanna Schultz, policy and government affairs administrator for the city, who wrote the bill on behalf of Mayor Tim Keller, left open the possibility of another similar bill in the future. "I understand the intent of this bill. But I also think there are a lot of unintended consequences," said Councilor Renée Grout. In its original form, the Renter's Empowerment and Neighborhood Transparency (RENT) Ordinance would've affected almost every element of the renting experience, from signing a lease to evictions and deposits. The RENT Ordinance sought to give renters more power over their landlords, according to Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who sponsored the bill on behalf of the mayor's office. The measure, styled as a "Renters Bill of Rights," comes as the council has required landlords to provide cooling to tenants and created a code enforcement position dedicated to tenant-landlord issues. It also comes as the city faces an escalating housing crisis. Some of the bill's most notable changes aimed to enhance transparency. The RENT Ordinance would've required landlords to disclose all costs associated with a rental agreement in clear, straightforward language in their published listings. This included any information from a background check that might disqualify an applicant, as well as minimum credit score and income requirements. Another notable part of the RENT Ordinance would have eliminated pet rent. Landlords could accept a pet deposit of up to $150. The RENT Ordinance drew support from some renters and housing advocates, including OLÉ New Mexico. They said the ordinance would hold bad landlords accountable and improve the living conditions of renters, who make up about 44% of Albuquerque residents, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The bill also drew concern from landlords, some realtors, and property management companies. They argued the ordinance infringed on property rights, increased their liability since tenants could deduct repair costs from rent payments in some instances, and would lead to higher rents. Ultimately, Fiebelkorn was joined by Councilor Nichole Rogers in trying to keep the bill alive. Councilors Dan Champine and Brook Bassan joined Grout in voting to end the bill.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed RENT Ordinance aims to rein in unfair rental practices
Jun. 9—The Albuquerque City Council is set to consider sweeping new rules that would overhaul the rental process citywide, aiming to protect tenants from hidden fees, housing instability and unresponsive landlords. The bill, known as Renter's Empowerment and Neighborhood Transparency (RENT) Ordinance, would enshrine several protections around almost every part of the renting experience. The bill addresses nearly all aspects of the rental process and would impact every landlord and renter in the city. Statistics from the American Community Survey show that about 44% of households in Albuquerque rent. But it's far from guaranteed to pass. "I think that this council has proven in the past that they're not interested in helping renters very much," said Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who is sponsoring the bill on behalf of the mayor's office. "But recently, we did get two pieces of tenant protections passed." Those two pieces were an ordinance mandating landlords provide cooling for tenants and a bill that created a code enforcement position to respond directly to renters' issues. The bill also faces opposition from landlord advocates. "While the stated intent of this legislation may be to protect tenants, in practice, it burdens responsible landlords, increases operational and legal risk, and would discourage housing investment in Albuquerque," said Alan LaSeck, executive director of the Apartment Association of New Mexico. LaSeck went on to say the proposals ignore the realities of managing rental housing and would lead to reduced availability, higher costs and greater conflict. "Rather than fostering cooperation between tenants and owners, they threaten to drive housing providers out of the market, shrinking our housing supply, increasing rents and worsening the very problem we're trying to solve," LaSeck said. What's in the RENT Ordinance? Shanna Schultz, policy and government affairs administrator for the city, said the bill comes at a time when Albuquerque continues to grapple with a housing crisis. A 2024 Denver-based Root Policy Research report, titled "Albuquerque Region Housing Needs Assessment," found a significant shortage of units for low-income renters. The same report found that residents were spending more than a third of their monthly income on housing and that occupied units, such as apartments and single-family homes, often had more residents than rooms available. "I think we know that building more homes is essential, but that's not enough on its own. It's not the only tool in the toolkit," Schultz said. "We also need to protect the people who are already living in homes." Schultz, who authored the policy proposal, noted that the bill's transparency provisions were among its most significant changes. The RENT Ordinance would require landlords to disclose all costs of a rental agreement in plain language in their published listings. That includes anything on a background check that could disqualify an applicant, as well as minimum credit score or income requirements. "This can help renters avoid surprise charges and do things like budget more confidently, which is very important in this economy right now," Schultz said. There are several other key provisions, including those around repairs. The ordinance grants the tenant the right to arrange for necessary maintenance by a licensed and insured professional. The tenant can also deduct the cost of the repair from their rent payment or receive reimbursement from the landlord when the landlord fails to make a repair. Landlords would also be prohibited from charging fees and additional rent for companion animals, defined in the bill as typical pets not used for commercial purposes. In all, the bill makes changes to rules around security deposits, relocation assistance, the rental application process, evictions, credit reporting requirements, move-in and move-out procedures and methods of payment. It's set to go before the Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee on June 11. If it advances, it's unlikely to go before the full council until at least August, Schultz said. "Why would landlords also be interested in this? And I think the answer to that is that clear rules reduce confusion and conflict," Schultz said.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
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. Story continues below News: UNM researchers make new discovery about Yellowstone National Park supervolcano New Mexico Strange: A dive into the Painted Lady's violent past, haunted present Community: Major renovation' planned for ABQ BioPark Children's Fantasy Garden New Mexico Crime Files: A deputy tazing a high school student goes too far '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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
