Alongside Renters Rights Groups, Rep. Maxwell Frost Announces Two Bills to Empower Working Renters
Frost’s End Junk Fees for Renters Act and End Tenant Credit Screening Act Work to Breakdown Hurdles for Renters
Watch the Press Conference Here
ORLANDO, FL — As Florida and the country grapple with rising costs, a worsening economy, and a housing crisis, today Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10) announced he was introducing two bills to empower working-class renters and dismantle the hurdles that have made it harder for too many to have a roof over their head.
Frost’s End Junk Fees for Renters Act and End Tenant Credit Screening Act would crack down on the excessive and dishonest junk fees that millions of renters are charged when applying and every month thereafter by money-hungry landlords while also removing a major obstacle renters face when applying for housing by prohibiting landlords from using credit scores and consumer reports when screening potential tenants.
Frost’s bills come as Florida and the U.S. face a housing affordability crisis that continues to squeeze working people and renters, too often forcing people to slip into homelessness at a time when cities are criminalizing folks who cannot afford to keep a roof over their heads.
Frost, who was joined by local elected leaders, including State Rep. Anna Eskamani, and housing organizations and advocates, recently posted on the Orlando community Reddit page where he received hundreds of comments and dozens of stories from local folks who have been victimized by excessive and hidden fees from landlords or have been outright denied housing because of their credit scores.
“At a time when many people in Central Florida and across the country are struggling to make ends meet, we must remove the obstacles that prevent them from keeping a roof over their heads. Hidden fees and discriminatory credit screenings are major challenges for renters,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost. “These bills will help create a fairer, more equitable, and transparent rental market. If we want a future where everyone has access to stable, secure housing, then we must end junk fees. We must end discriminatory credit screenings. We must make housing a right, not a luxury. We’ve got a lot of work left to do for renters and to address the housing crisis, but these bills are an important first step to offer immediate relief.”
The End Junk Fees for Renters Act is endorsed by the National Housing Law Project, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Homelessness Law Center, National Alliance to End Homelessness, and National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients). The End Tenant Credit Screening Act is endorsed by the National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients).
“Credit scores were never intended to gauge whether someone will be a good tenant. They’re designed to predict whether someone will be late paying a loan, not rent, which is a much higher-priority bill than a credit card. Given the current rental housing crisis, this practice makes a bad situation even worse. We applaud Congressman Frost for introducing a bill to put a stop to this unfair practice,” stated Chi Chi Wu, Director of Consumer Reporting and Data Advocacy at the National Consumer Law Center.
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