After the city passed a rent stabilization ordinance, landlords are reworking leases to include new utility charges, effectively raising rents by as much as 14 percent.

“Some St. Paul landlords, facing soaring inflation and energy costs, are trying to get around the city’s new rent control law by charging tenants for utilities that used to be included in the rent,” writes Max Nesterak in the Minnesota Reformer. “It’s leading to rent increases of more than 10% for some renters in a city where landlords may only increase rent 3% a year following passage of a voter-approved ordinance that went into effect May 1,” which does not explicitly mention utilities. For some tenants, this has meant a rise in total housing costs of as much as 14 percent over the last year.
“However, the city’s rules don’t allow for landlords to circumvent the 3% cap on rent by shifting responsibility for utilities onto the tenant, according to St. Paul spokeswoman Suzanne Donovan. Nor can landlords rewrite a lease when it’s renewed to include these charges if they increase tenants’ costs by more than 3%.”
Tenant advocate and attorney Margaret Kaplan argues that “(Utilities) are part of the cost of living in the unit, and therefore, they should be included under what is considered a rent increase.” Organizations such as Kaplan’s Housing Justice Center are working with tenants and landlords to resolve disputes without going to court, but not all landlords have been receptive.
FULL STORY: Tenants say landlords are skirting St. Paul rent control with new utility charges

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
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Cool Walkability Planning
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Congestion Pricing Could Be Coming to L.A.
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Illinois Legislators Pass Controversial I-55 Road Expansion Legislation
Legislation to enable the addition of express toll lanes on Interstate 55 in the Southwest Side of Chicago, opposed by environmental justice advocates, cleared the Illinois General Assembly last month.

What Is ‘Arterial Rapid Transit?’
Atlanta is planning to build ‘BRT lite,’ a version of bus service that offers signal priority and fewer stops but keeps buses in mixed-traffic lanes.

Vermont Latest State to Preempt Single-Family Zoning
The approval of the HOME law, S.100, will allow for duplexes in all residential neighborhoods in Vermont. Large swaths of residential zones in the state must also now allow tri- and four-plexes.
Caltrans
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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