By MARA K. BELL
At a Sept. 16 meeting, the Hyattsville City Council discussed steps to implement a rent stabilization ordinance to keep tenants in their homes by maintaining monthly rent increases at a level lower than market-rate increases.
The city plans to keep housing affordable by limiting rent increases to the consumer price index (a measure of inflation based on the price of goods and services).
The city council approved this rent stabilization bill in concept, and instructed the city attorney to draft legislation implementing it, back in December of 2023.
The city bill now challenges Prince George’s County’s rent stabilization legislation, adopted on July 16. That bill, which takes effect Oct. 17, limits rent increases to either the consumer price index plus 3% or a maximum annual increase of 6%.
Under the city’s ordinance, tenants would save more money than under Prince George’s County’s bill, at least so long as inflation stays under 6%.
Additionally, county-level rent stabilization does not apply to apartments licensed after 2000. In contrast, Hyattsville’s proposed rent stabilization would apply to apartments built more than 15 years ago, on a rolling basis. This would stabilize rents for 500 additional apartments in Hyattsville, according to city staff.
The ordinance follows the council’s adoption of a long-term housing agenda, created in 2021, to support affordable housing in Hyattsville for low-income families. Nearly half of the city’s residents are renters according to census data.
The new rent stabilization ordinance would benefit all tenants regardless of income level.
Eden Aaron, research and policy analyst of CASA (a Latino and immigration advocacy organization), said the ordinance would address an urgent need for affordable housing and help protect vulnerable residents against rising costs.
“We celebrate this next step in finally seeing Hyattsville’s rent stabilization bill implemented,” she said.
The city plans to vote on the ordinance between November and December of this year, according to an email from Council Member Danny Schaible (Ward 2), a major proponent of the bill.
City council members raised scheduling concerns and discussed friction that may occur between the city’s draft rent stabilization law and the county’s law.
“We have to, as the city, go at the same time or ahead of the county, otherwise that would present some confusion,” City Council President Joseph Solomon (Ward 5) said. “I think that, in order to prevent [tenants] from planning for the wrong amount [of rent], it’s probably more prudent for us to be ahead of the county…”
The Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington submitted a letter to the council commenting on the ordinance, highlighting the importance of considering the county’s law.
“Passing a more restrictive law than the county is premature, given that the county law has not yet taken effect,” the letter read.
This week, at the county level, the county council is scheduled to talk about proposed rent-gouging legislation to stop rent increases of more than 15%. This new restriction would apply to apartments not covered by the county rent stabilization bill,
Overall, residents seemed to be behind the city legislation.
Melissa Schweisguth, a member of the Hyattsville Environment Committee, submitted a written public comment during the Sept. 16 meeting in support of the bill.
“Thank you for bringing a rent stabilization bill back to the city council,” Schweisguth said. “Renters without my resources should not be subject to out-of-control rent increases that push them out of their communities and disrupt families and lives.”
Daniel Broder, a Ward 2 resident, also expressed gratitude for the rent stabilization advancements.
“This is something very near and dear to my heart,” Broder said. “I was a renter for many years. I lived in some very squalid situations. It’s extremely frustrating to be constantly battling against these market forces.”
According to a presentation by city staff, implementing the rent stabilization act would require two or three new full-time employees, and be paid for by an increase in the rental licensing fee.
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Mara K. Bell is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland.
