HB 250
Allows rental owners the right to charge application fees with no limitations. In theory, an applicant could pay a large lump sum of money just to apply. If twenty applicants apply then the rental owner is happy. However, what about the 19 applicants who now need to apply with another landlord, and pay another application fee? This can go on and on.
I can see why Paul Smith, Executive Director of the Utah Apartment Association is so happy. Once again it is all about business without any consideration on how it will affect low income Utahns.
Senator Fred Fife tried to make an amendment to protect low income applicants. So did Senators Ed Mayne and Patrice Arent, but in the end, all that truly matters is that the landlord can make a profit on the applicant without ever signing a lease. Maybe a percentage cap over the landlord's cost would have been a reasonable idea. Processing applications does have a cost (I have a small rental in Holiday), but due to an overwhelming republican majority in the legislature, the proper debate that might have forced a better bill was instead ignored.
I can also see how this bill could be a used as a means of keeping certain less desirable applicants from even applying (legal prejudice).
This is just another example as to why Utah is selling itself short by not having some balance in the legislature. Understanding why apartment owners desire an application fee does not overide my concern that this bill provides no protection for the applicant.
Utah should be concerned that there just isn't any debate, a tool which I believe promotes smarter legislation.
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