New rules: Palm Beach County tries to get a grip on astronomical rent increases from landlords
Landlords throughout Palm Beach County will soon have to provide tenants with 60 days’ notice if they intend to raise rents more than 5% or terminate a lease.County commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance that calls for a 60-day notice. County Mayor Robert Weinroth said he expects the new rules to be in place by mid-September. State law currently requires notice of just 15 days.
"This is a good first step to help tenants facing increases of more than 20%," said Takisha Miles, supervising attorney for the Palm Beach County Legal Aid Society's elder law and fair housing project.
First-time violators could be fined $1,000 per day per violation; $5,000 per day for a repeat violation, and up to $15,000 per violation if the violation is found to be irreparable or irreversible in nature.
“This ordinance is anticipated to have a beneficial impact for residents and will help renters navigate the highly competitive rental market by providing more time to adjust to higher rents or seek alternative housing,” according to a staff memo prepared for county commissioners.
Lake Worth already declared a State of Emergency and want rent controls. Rental rates are out-of-control.
Read about it in the Palm Beach Post
60 days is better than being thrown out on your ear, but what else can you do? Rent-Control is out of the question, but how about some kind of a tax on rents above a certain amount?
ReplyDeleteMaybe some sort of incentive to keep rents at a reasonable rate.
The Invisible Hand of the Market doesn't seem to be functioning in the Real Estate Market.