SAN DIEGO (CNS) – San Diego City Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera and San Diego County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe will Wednesday reveal a joint ordinance intended to protect renters from “junk fees” that drive up the cost of housing.
The Residential Rental Price Gouging, Fee Exploitation, and Cost Transparency Ordinance is a collaborative city-county effort which would cap rental fees beyond monthly rent, ban exploitative add-on charges and “require landlords to clearly disclose the true cost of renting.”
“Together, these reforms aim to promote fairness, transparency, and accountability in San Diego’s housing market,” a statement from Elo-Rivera and Montgomery Steppe read.
Close to half of San Diegans rent, and — according to census data released last year — around 30% of county residents spend more than half their paychecks on housing.
“In addition to high rents, many tenants face a growing number of unnecessary and deceptive fees — from processing and “convenience” charges to arbitrary add-ons that make housing even more unaffordable, the statement reads.
Specifically, the ordinance would:
Cap rental fees beyond monthly rent at no more than 5% of rentBan fees for basic services that make homes livable, such as pest control or trash collectionRequire full disclosure of all rental costs in listings and lease agreementsProtect applicants and tenants from duplicate or excessive screening and processing feesEliminate monthly pet fees
Following the news conference, Elo-Rivera will introduce the proposal at the San Diego City Council’s Select Committee on Addressing Cost of Living on Thursday at 9 a.m.
Montgomery Steppe and co-author, Supervisors Chair Pro Paloma Tem Aguirre, will introduce the proposal at the County Board of Supervisor’s meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 9 a.m.
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