Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost and Sen. Jeff Merkley have announced the introduction of bicameral legislation aimed at addressing the housing crisis and standing firmly with working-class renters—the End Junk Fees for Renters Act.
Rep. Frost’s bill, which is being co-led by Rep. Jimmy Gomez in the House, Chair of the Congressional Renters Caucus, comes as Florida and the U.S. face a housing affordability crisis that continues to squeeze working people and renters, forcing people to slip into homelessness at a time when cities are criminalizing folks who cannot afford to keep a roof over their heads.
Reps. Frost and Gomez first introduced the bill in July of 2023 to put an end to the growing number of excessive and dishonest junk fees renters face when looking for and securing housing.
Rep. Frost said: “This is about standing firmly on the side of renters and working people while holding greedy landlords and leasing companies accountable for nickel and diming people every chance they get. It’s time to end the ridiculous fees and fight for housing justice and transparency.”
The End Junk Fees for Renters Act seeks to protect tenants by cracking down on junk fees specifically by:
- Banning application and screening fees;
- Putting an end to late fee profiteering by capping late fees at 3% of monthly rent and requiring a 15-day grace period;
- Requiring that landlords disclose in the rental contract: past and present litigation with tenants; ongoing pest and maintenance issues; rent increase percentages year after year over the last 10 years and; the total amount due each month to effectively eliminate surprise fees.
- Helping consumers comparison shop and making more informed choices when it comes to renting, inevitably driving down overall costs in the rental market, and improving living conditions.
“Billionaire corporations and huge rental companies are hiding fees and added costs to drive up rents and line their own pockets,” said Sen. Merkley. “The End Junk Fees for Renters Act fights back against corporate landlords trying to squeeze every dime out of renters that they possibly can. Let’s crack down on these junk fees to ensure all Americans have a fair shot at a safe, affordable roof overhead and the power to fight back against absurd costs.”
According to a recent Redfin study, the median asking rent in the U.S. dropped 0.5% year-over-year (YoY) to $1,642 in June, marking the fourth consecutive month of yearly decreases. Overall, asking rents increased by an estimated 0.6% month-over-month. The median asking rent is only $63 below the all-time high of $1,705 set in August 2022, despite being lower than it was a year ago. For the past year or so, rents have generally been quite stable, with yearly decreases or rises of 1% or less since March 2024. This comes after significant fluctuations during the pandemic era, when the median asking rent rose by up to 18% annually and fell by up to 4% annually.
“Renters have the upper hand—at least for now—because there are a near-record number of apartments coming on the market that landlords are scrambling to lease,” said Sheharyar Bokhari, Senior Economist at Redfin. “In certain parts of the country, renters may be able to negotiate discounted rent, flexible leases or free parking. But these perks may be short-lived given that apartment construction is expected to slow and rental demand is expected to remain strong.”
And because there is a greater supply of apartments than demand, even though many Americans choose to rent rather than buy due to the high costs related to homeownership, rents have decreased but consistently over the past few months.
Rep. Jimmy Gomez added: “This bill will restore faith and transparency to the renting process by putting an end to the profiteering of predatory landlords and property managers. In my district, where up to 80% of households rent, this bill will lift an unnecessary financial burden and help working families build real stability.”
Click here for more on the End Junk Fees for Renters Act.
