WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers in the District of Columbia are poised to ban landlords from charging exorbitant fees when tenants don’t pay their rent on time.
The bill from Democratic Council member Anita Bonds would regulate late fees in the city for the first time.
It would set 5 percent of a tenant’s monthly rent as the maximum late fee and require that the fee be charged only once. It would define late rent as a payment that’s more than 10 days overdue. It also establishes fines for landlords who impose excessive fees.
Advocates told lawmakers that landlords’ practices vary widely across the District, putting elderly and low-income residents at risk of eviction for failing to pay fees.
The bill is expected to be approved unanimously at the D.C. Council’s meeting on Tuesday.
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