Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Fayetteville council delays new cap on rental application fees amid state-law concerns
Summary
After legal advice that the city's ordinance limiting rental application and background-check fees may conflict with Arkansas law, Fayetteville City Council voted to amend the measure and delay its effective date to March 31, 2025, while the city pursues clarifying guidance and further public input.
The Fayetteville City Council on Dec. 17 amended and delayed an ordinance that would limit how much landlords may charge prospective tenants for application reviews and background checks, citing advice from the city attorney that the rule may conflict with Arkansas law.
City Attorney Kit told council that Arkansas Code Annotated section 14-43-608 bars municipal regulation of ‘‘prices for services between individuals and firms within the city limits’’ and that the application/background-check fees at issue are likely to be treated by a court as a ‘‘service.’' Kit said the city should act to avoid a probable legal conflict and proposed repealing the ordinance; council instead approved an amendment to postpone its effective date…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
