Idaho senators send rental application-fee limit bill to amending order after hours of testimony

Boise — The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee voted to send Senate Bill 10-42 to the fourteenth order for possible amendment after extended testimony about what proponents called predatory application-fee practices and opponents warned would be unnecessary regulation.

Sen. Ali Rabie, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee the proposal would “require that landlords can only charge application fees for rentals to two households at a time,” while carving out exceptions for listings that use third-party platforms or operate waiting lists.

“Most landlords are good and we’re here to try to rein in some of the bad actors,” Rabie said. He described the bill as “a step in the right direction” to reduce the time families spend and money they lose while seeking permanent housing.

The bill drew sustained testimony both for and against. Evan Stewart, program director at Jesse Tree, an eviction-prevention nonprofit, said his agency receives thousands of calls and emails from…