A South Florida state legislator has introduced a bill ahead of this year’s legislative session that could make the housing rental process cheaper for tenants. The ongoing effort comes in response to high housing costs and growing calls for both parties to make changes in the housing market.
The proposal would allow landlords to accept reusable reports, like credit and eviction history. That way, potential renters don’t have to pay separate fees for these reports when making multiple rental applications at the same time — an approach used by many as the affordability crisis increases competition for units.
Democratic State Representative Jervonte Edmonds — who represents parts of Palm Beach County such as West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach — said the purpose behind the bill is to not only “simplify” the rental application process. For many people, the first step to becoming homeowners is renting, so he also hopes the bill will “reduce barriers for people to become homeowners one day.”…