Landlords, tenants air differences at Minneapolis housing summit
Steve Brandt
Star Tribune
Published Apr 8, 2002
Differences between landlords and tenants are nothing new to housing, but
they sparked some of the most passionate debate Sunday at Minneapolis Mayor
R.T. Rybak's second affordable-housing summit.
Application fees charged to renters provoked complaints from tenants who said
landlords profit at $25 per apartment. But landlords said a gamble on an
unchecked tenant can mean other tenants subsidize the cost of fixing up a
trashed apartment.
Rental issues were an added feature of this second summit, which drew more
than 400 people. Some small-scale landlords say they feel ignored by Rybak's
administration, which calls affordable housing its priority. Tenant issues
were largely missing from the first summit.
Advocates helped to sharpen the focus of rental issues by busing residents of
several homeless shelters to the Sunday summit.
Sharon Myles was one renter who thought tenant screening for rental, criminal
and credit history is too harsh. "They want to hold your history against you,
even if it was 15 years ago," she said.
Landlord Keith Reitman agreed with tenants that it's wrong to collect
multiple application fees to pay for screening several applicants for the
same unit. He said he'd like to see a common background check devised.
A tenant working group set up after Rybak's last session in January urges a
ban on application fees, limits on the information that can be collected for
background checks, and several other changes.
(SNIP)
Keith says; I was there, so thanx for the ink. In that packed and edgy room;
I could only wish you had called me "BRO" again. I would like to correct the
record regarding my opinion on Rental application Fees charged by some
landlords.
I do not, ".. agree(d) with tenants that it's wrong to collect multiple
application fees to pay for screening several applicants for the same unit."
Some landlords charge an application fee for payment to a tenant screening
service. If that landlord were fortunate enough to get many interested
parties: it would be necessary and reasonable to do the background research
and verification on all those applicants who appear qualified, in the same
manor. Hence the fee from one and all. If he did not treat all the nominally
qualified applicants equally and fairly, he would appear to be
discriminating. He would also not be able to professionally verify the
information offered by applicants.
I do believe, as you say about me, that "...he'd like to see a common
background check devised." That is, perhaps a portable, and verifiable report
that an aspiring tenant in MPLS. need pay for only one time. The applicant
can then present the reference number (or whatever) and a copy of the report
when filling out each landlord's application. The report could be utilized as
often as the tenant desires, but it is essential that their be no cost to the
landlord. No cost to the landlord because, and this can happen, 500 people
may show up for one very desirable unit.
Finally, yes, " A tenant working group set up after Rybak's last session in
January urges a ban on application fees, limits on the information that can
be collected for background checks, and several other changes." It was also
urged (by me) at this last summit, in that edgy room, that gas be priced at
10 cents@gallon. I thought it would be good for many of us in the room, even
the tenant advocates who bussed in residents of local homeless shelters. Will
I hold my breath waiting for RT to lower pump prices or remove the only fair
way for landlords to verify tenant information? No.
I believe the consensus in the room at the end of the meeting was for a
portable rental information method. I know I was convinced.
My thanks to RT for facilitating this forum. My advice to RT, be more
accessible to the small business people called rental property owner. Many of
us are ready to storm your office, peaceably. Reconnect, in your mind,
landlord as *housing advocate*. We are the for-profit Housing Advocates, we
have to be.
Keith Reitman, NearNorth
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