S1039 is getting ready for a vote on the Senate floor.

S1039, the bill that will ensure rental fees are transparent and reasonable, soon will be considered for a vote on the Senate floor. I've been working hard on getting this passed, and hope my colleagues will agree with me that this is a moderate solution to a large problem.

Just one example of why this bill is important comes from Alex, a single mother of two who owns her own cleaning business. Last year, Alex’s cleaning business slowed when she lost two clients, to no fault of her own, and she didn't have enough income to pay her rent.

She incurred late fees every day she was unable to pay, which accumulated to $450 in less than a week. Alex finally decided to use her savings to pay her rent in order to avoid eviction, but the rent payment she made only applied to the fees. The fees continued to stack up and it was impossible to pay her rent in addition to the fees. Eventually, her landlord took her to eviction court for $500.

Nickel-and-diming folks who are already strained in our current rental market ultimately hurts all of us and leads to more landlord and tenant disputes about rent getting paid on time, as well as increases in eviction and homelessness.

I'm proud to say the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee hearing on this bill went very well, with all stakeholders speaking in support of S1039. See below just some of the articles covering the hearing: