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Subcommittee considers rent‑increase transparency registry to help renters compare landlords
Summary
The group discussed a proposal to create a rent‑increase transparency measure (a rent registry) that would require larger landlords to report year‑over‑year rent changes so prospective renters can assess a building’s history of increases.
Speaker 2 (Kelly) proposed a rent‑increase transparency initiative that would require landlords (with exceptions for very small owners) to report year‑over‑year rent changes into a database, enabling renters to see a building’s history of increases before signing a lease.
Supporters said the measure would provide consumers better information — similar to MLS pricing data for for‑sale housing — and could discourage buildings that habitually raise rents by double digits. Opponents raised implementation concerns: creating and maintaining a rent registry would require administrative systems, raise questions about business‑sensitive disclosures for landlords, and demand careful exemptions for small owners.
Jason (Speaker 4) urged caution about the costs and privacy implications of a landlord registry, while Speaker 2 argued the measure could include thresholds or exemptions to limit burdens on small landlords. Members asked staff to explore technology vendors, potential exemptions by owner size, and how such a tool could be structured ahead of formal recommendation.
Next steps: staff to collect information on vendor solutions, legal limits, and potential thresholds for reporting.
