Just months after the City of Boise passed three ordinances to protect renters, Idaho lawmakers bid Boiseans to wave goodbye to the short-lived protections. Gov. Brad Little exercised his due diligence in saying that local government is an important tenet of conservatism — and then signed the bill anyway.
The legislation originated outside of Boise, coming from Moscow Republican Rep. Brandon Mitchell, and retroactively killed three Boise ordinances. Boise State Public Radio’s Jimmy Dawson broke it all down on the City Cast Boise podcast.
Now [city leaders] feel like they have one fewer tool in their toolbox to try to deal with these things that people are clamoring for.
Jimmy Dawson, Reporter, Boise State Public Radio
Income Vouchers a No-Go
Housing advocates worked hard for the most prominent tenant protection, which made it illegal for a landlord to deny a possible renter based on a source of income outside a typical wage income, like veteran’s benefits, child support, or Section 8 housing vouchers.
Republican lawmakers claimed this forced landlords into federal housing programs, guaranteeing that they would have to deal with an income and paperwork system they didn’t want to worry about.
Rental Application Fee Caps Canceled
Legislators rolled back Boise’s $30 cap on rental application fees, which they also unsuccessfully attempted two years ago. A more conservative Senate in this session, however, canceled the cap prohibition and the housing voucher protection in the same bill.
Security Deposit Requirements Nixed
Lastly, to put the nail in the wall, the third of three Boise ordinances was effectively killed. Last year, the city agreed that if a building was set to be demolished or undergo major renovations, then the landlord was required to return all their tenant’s security deposits, no matter the property’s condition.
