Bellingham City Council favors limiting landlord ‘junk fees,’ opts for more fact-finding
Bellingham City Council members seemed to favor limits on so-called “junk fees” charged by landlords, but they sought more time to hear from renters, landlords and others affected by the proposed measure during discussion Monday afternoon.
In a unanimous vote, council members decided to hold the junk fees measure in Committee of the Whole while additional “community engagement” was sought.
“A thousand cuts are killing” local renters and many of the fees are unnecessary, Councilmember Lisa Anderson said during discussion on the measure.
“Rent in Bellingham is way too high and the thought that you have to pay a fee to mow your own lawn is ridiculous,” Anderson said.
Councilman Jace Cotton brought the measure forward, seeking to prohibit fees such as nonrefundable pet fees, cap or limit late fees to $10 or actual cost, and require disclosure and transparency in leases and rental ads.
It had been scheduled for a vote when the full City Council met Monday night.
While the measure is being held in committee, city officials were asked to arrange events where both landlords and tenants could learn more about the measure, including in-person meetings and a presence on the Engage Bellingham website.
A council work session on the topic was suggested, along with a public hearing before a vote is scheduled.
Cotton said that he met with landlords and tenants in developing the ordinance, and Iris Nott, the city’s legislative policy analyst, researched the issue of junk fees for a presentation to the committee on Monday.
“It’s clear that there’s a widespread need” for action on the issue, Nott told the council.
About 54% of Bellingham’s 97,000 residents are renters, and more than 20,000 renters are “cost-burdened,” meaning that they spend more than one-third of their income on rent, Nott said.
Fees for late payment of rent can’t be justified economically, Cotton said.
“There is no evidence that a higher late fee results in a lower incidence of non-payment. This is money from people who don’t have a lot of money to spare,” he said.
