Rent transparency is honest business

Rent control is not the way to go. More inventory is the key to tackling soaring rents, so state lawmakers were right to reject a rental-control measure early in their 60-day session.

But rental transparency is the way to go, and it is unfortunate the Albuquerque City Council doesn’t see that.

On Monday the council rejected by a 4-5 vote a proposal that would have merely required landlords to disclose upfront how much they charge for pet, parking, pest control and other fees; financial penalties for late payments or other lease violations; and some of their application screening standards so would-be applicants know if they need a specific credit score or income to qualify.

Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn’s modest “Residential Tenant Protection Ordinance” also would have limited application fees to $150 and required landlords to issue refunds when they deny an applicant without providing a reason or if they never actually processed the application.

Rental industry representatives argued they might have to raise rents to account for the new regulations — honestly? Having to reveal upfront that you charge for bug spraying, covered parking, a laundry unit, etc., is so onerous you have to jack up rents? You want onerous, how about getting hit with $100-plus in monthly mandatory mystery fees?

Clearly disclosing fees to potential tenants is just honest business. Feibelkorn worked on the bill for months with various stakeholders and made significant changes to her original proposal, eliminating a provision prohibiting most pet fees and requiring landlords to accept payments by cash and personal checks. But City Councilors Brook Bassan, Renee Grout, Trudy Jones, Dan Lewis and Louie Sanchez still voted against it.

The council’s rejection could be part of a larger movement opposed to rent control — that’s throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Concerns about government overreach shouldn’t stop common sense measures that protect consumers.

If the City Council doesn’t want to stand up for renters, maybe the Attorney General’s Office needs to look into protecting them.