DeSantis signs into law industry-backed bill allowing Florida landlords to charge 'junk fees' ...

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https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/desantis-signs-into-law-industry-backed-bill-allowing-florida-landlords-to-charge-junk-fees-instead-of-security-deposits-34328262

DeSantis signs into law industry-backed bill allowing Florida landlords to charge 'junk fees' instead of security deposits

An Orange County attorney says it's 'not designed to protect the tenant at all'

By McKenna Schueler on Fri, Jun 2, 2023 at 4:20 pm

As the nation dunks on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for not knowing how to pronounce his own last name, it may be distracting from more important things. To wit: Friday DeSantis signed into law a controversial bill that critics say is “ripe for abuse” by bad landlords.

The bill, HB 133, allows landlords in Florida to charge tenants a nonrefundable, limitless, recurring fee in lieu of a security deposit, or what's been dubbed “junk fees.”

Supporters of the bill — including corporate lobbying interests that stand to turn a profit from it — say it offers tenants an alternative to paying lump-sum security deposits that can often cost upward of one or maybe two months’ rent.

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There are no limits to the fees that landlords can charge as part of this alternative security deposit arrangement, so they could theoretically charge $25 per month, or they could charge $200 per month. “There’s no cap on the fees,” said Mobley.

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[jimfields33]

1. Trying to save 5000 dollars for first and last months rent plus security deposit can be difficult

Perhaps this can allow for people to move in earlier. However a cap should have been added.

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3. Trying to tack a bright side onto a turd?

[jimfields33]

4. Yep. If it's going to pass, You must find a way to deal with it.

Reality is tough but looking to make it easier is best.

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5. NO. You work to tear it down, you DON'T work to fix a small part of it. The problem with high ...

... rents isn't the difficulty in finding the $5,000, it's the $5,000 to begin with. Squeezing it out in unlimited fees is no help at all, it just spreads the bleeding from price gouging out longer.

[jimfields33]

6. Rents are high all over. It'd be nice if places all over the country found a way to elevate it.

So far, no city state or locality has found a way.

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9. And it won't happen as long as people roll over with a "everybody's doin it" attitude. We're ...

... Democrats, dammit, we believe in change not rolling over.

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7. It's not even a matter of just spreading out the payment.

Security deposits are refundable, these fees are not. The tenant could end up paying far more in fees, with no chance of getting the money back.

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8. BINGO!!!

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2. ...