Commissioner Eileen Higgins legislation requiring a fair notice on rent increases receives initial support from Board of County Commissioners

MIAMI-DADE – At the March 1 Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meeting, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Eileen Higgins’ legislation requiring a fair notice for rent increases received BCC approval on first reading. Specifically, the legislation requires a 60-day written notice before a landlord increases rent by more than five percent when a lease ends or for month-to-month tenancies. It also extends required written notices for eviction from 30 to 60 days. Both the rent increase and eviction notices are applicable countywide.

“In the past few months, we’ve seen outrageous rent increases from our landlords – including reports from residents who had their rents increased by 65% which is frankly absurd,” said Commissioner Higgins. “We’re taking action locally to help provide relief now through the fair notice on rent increases and by extending notice of eviction. It buys residents across the county – most of which are from vulnerable populations – more time to prepare.”

According to research by Florida International University, 48.4 percent of households in Miami-Dade County are considered “cost burdened,” which, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), includes households who pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing and may have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation, and medical care.

During COVID-19, there has been an influx of people moving to Florida from states with higher wages and cost of living, which has caused an upsurge in rental rates in Florida. According to a recent Miami Herald editorial report, as of December 2021, the average monthly rent in Miami was $3,020.00, which represents a 34 percent annual increase.

Many States around the U.S. such as Arizona, New Jersey, and Texas have laws that require landlords to provide notice to their tenants prior to increasing their rents. Championed by Commissioner Alex Fernandez, the City of Miami Beach approved fair notice legislation and Councilman Bryan Calvo led the approval of similar ordinance in the City of Hialeah.

Hialeah Councilman Calvo said, “This is also not a final, end-all, be-all solution to the problem of rent but a necessary first step that will provide fair and balanced protection to tenants.”

Due to the urgent nature of Miami-Dade's housing and affordability crisis, the BCC approved Commissioner Higgins’ request to expedite the approval of the legislation. Public hearing will be held at the Public Housing and Community Services Committee on Thursday, March 10, at 9 am in the Commission Chambers. If approved at committee, the legislation will be heard at the March 15 BCC meeting for final approval.

For more information, please contact Francis Izquierdo, Communications Manager for Miami-Dade County Commissioner Higgins, at [email protected] or 305-375-5924.