Landlords may have to give tenants a 60-day notice for rent increases

In Utah, giving renters a more prompt heads up on rent raises would help avoid some homelessness cases. That’s the argument Rep. Marsha Judkins, R-Provo, made while proposing a policy change that would require landlords to give a 60-day notice to tenants before any rent increases become effective.

HB355, titled Residential Rental Modifications, didn’t face any opposition during Judkins’ presentation to the House Business and Labor Committee, which approved it unanimously for consideration by the full House.

“What this does is it creates a balance between renters and landlords, and it gives renters time to figure out if a rate increase can be absorbed into their budget,” Judkins said. “It gives them time to find another rental that will work for them.”

The bill has some exceptions including month-to-month residential leases and increases corresponding to maximum rent allowed in low-income tax credit communities and Section 8 housing.

This is especially important, Judkins said, for many who have fixed incomes, such as seniors and people with disabilities, who are at risk of becoming homeless in the state’s hot rental market.

Any rent increases a landlord tries to make before a 60-day notice would be unenforceable until that period of time passes, Gavin Gilbert, government affairs director at the Rental Housing Association, told the committee.

Gilbert said that the majority of large apartment complexes in the association are already using 60-day notices, but he acknowledged that if the bill is approved, there should be education opportunities for smaller landlords. He assumed the rule would be included in the programs currently provided by different municipalities.

“I think that that’s very doable,” Gilbert said, “and it’s something that the private industry is very much eager to take on, as far as educating small landlords about this.” 

Kael Weston, a Salt Lake County resident, said during the public comment period that he hopes the bill will be the beginning of more action tied to renters and not just owners. 

“Hopefully, you support this bill for addressing what I think to be one of the most under-addressed populations in our state, which are renters,” he said. “And this is not a mountain I think that we’re trying to climb in one day, but I think it’ll send an important signal to all of our neighbors who are not looking at mortgage rates, they’re looking at rent increases.”