BANGOR, Maine — The City of Bangor unanimously passed a tenants' rights ordinance Monday. It's seen by some as a win for many renters, as finding a place to live in the city can be competitive.
The ordinance lengthens the notice a landlord would need to give their renters if they plan to increase the cost of rent, which is a wider safety net from the state's 45-day span up to 60 days.
Application fees are also done away with, as well as a $75 cap on screening fees, but only when a tenant is guaranteed housing.
To further relieve the tight market, Councilor Clare Davitt said the city now has plans in the works to create a rental registry, which she said may help bridge the gap between tenant and landlord needs.
"There are landlords that could add another unit, except that there are minor code things, and they may not want to be like, 'Hey, we can be in code violation.' But we can come and say, 'Hey, we can either help do a legacy here for you or actually things have changed,' and [educate them] so that we can get more things on the market, is basically the goal of all of it, at all price ranges," Davitt said.
The new rules will take effect on March 9.
Davitt said although many approve the new rules, not everyone is satisfied. A handful of landlords are now speaking out, asking the city to consider passing a similar ordinance to protect the rights of landlords.
Resident Matt Sinclair, who manages a few properties in Greater Bangor, supports the tenants' rights ordinance. Sinclair said he used to struggle with housing himself, often times renting to those use housing vouchers. However, he said he wished there were more safeguards when it comes to evictions or working with housing programs, something he's run into problems with.
"They [his renters] moved in in September. In November I was told that they were cutting the program. I had leases on all of these people, and they're cutting their funding," Sinclair said. "Once they get into your apartments, you have no rights, you know, even if you're trying to help people that are homeless or have vouchers."
Louie Morrison, also a landlord in Greater Bangor, agreed that although the tenants' rights are a great step in the right direction, he also would like to see more rights for landlords.
Morrison told NEWS CENTER Maine he would like to possibly see a universal application for landlords to use, which might reduce the risk for property owners.
According to Davitt, the city plans to take a close look at how the current rules play out over the next few years to see if they would make any changes in the future. She said the tenants' ordinance will not be changed anytime soon, unless the rules go through an official appeal or amendment.