Rent Control? (Phoenix: real estate, affordable apartments, renter)

[Gentleman Jason]

In my apartment complex, a lot of people who make $10-12/hr are paying anywhere from 50-70% of their take home pay for rent. Since the laws favor landlords so much, they usually manufacture some excuse to keep deposits too. I hate seeing my hard working neighbors have to work on their old cars themselves in the parking lot (which they aren't supposed to do) and try to get food stamps. I especialy hate when the children have very little toys or school supplies.

I'm lucky in that my job pays a little better, so I'm paying about 40% of my take home pay towards my rent, but most financial people say your house or rent payment should realistically be 25% of your take home pay. One weeks pay.

What in the world would we have to do to get some sort of rent control around here?

[elcajones]

Originally Posted by Gentleman Jason

In my apartment complex, a lot of people who make $10-12/hr are paying anywhere from 50-70% of their take home pay for rent. Since the laws favor landlords so much, they usually manufacture some excuse to keep deposits too. I hate seeing my hard working neighbors have to work on their old cars themselves in the parking lot (which they aren't supposed to do) and try to get food stamps. I especialy hate when the children have very little toys or school supplies.

I'm lucky in that my job pays a little better, so I'm paying about 40% of my take home pay towards my rent, but most financial people say your house or rent payment should realistically be 25% of your take home pay. One weeks pay.

What in the world would we have to do to get some sort of rent control around here?

Rent are going through the roof huh? The solution, although not the nicest one is going for more affordable apartments in perhaps less desirable areas. There is still plenty of $400 a month studios and one bedrooms in the Avenues between Southern and Dunlap. Not the nicest areas and very possible roach infestations etc but, it beats renting a room (Which is what people making that kind of income have to do to get by back home in San Diego. Hell they spend 50-70% of their incomes to rent bedrooms in peoples houses.)

[elcajones]

Here's an example of a bottom of the barrel dump in San Diego. Located in the neiborhood of City Heights off off El Cajon Blvd. (One of the worst gang infested dumps in SD county). Only $1,100 a month . We are very lucky here in AZ for the cost of living although, I've noticed it's skyrocketing in the last few years or so.
4330 53rd Street, San Diego, CA | Trulia

[Rico Valencia]

First world problems.

[genoobie]

This is why I'd never live in the SW. I bought a $100K duplex that is 3000 sqft and I rent half of it out. Essentially I live mortgage/rent free. Tell them to move to another part of the country where life is normal.

[katie45]

Too many LLs could care less if a tenant moves out because there's always another renter waiting in the wings.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by genoobie

This is why I'd never live in the SW. I bought a $100K duplex that is 3000 sqft and I rent half of it out. Essentially I live mortgage/rent free. Tell them to move to another part of the country where life is normal.

This reminds me of Ohio, but no idea where you live. Lots of cheap real estate in the Midwest, but I think most people want to be near larger cities which of course drives price up.

[johnp292]

Originally Posted by Gentleman Jason

In my apartment complex, a lot of people who make $10-12/hr are paying anywhere from 50-70% of their take home pay for rent. Since the laws favor landlords so much, they usually manufacture some excuse to keep deposits too. I hate seeing my hard working neighbors have to work on their old cars themselves in the parking lot (which they aren't supposed to do) and try to get food stamps. I especialy hate when the children have very little toys or school supplies.

I'm lucky in that my job pays a little better, so I'm paying about 40% of my take home pay towards my rent, but most financial people say your house or rent payment should realistically be 25% of your take home pay. One weeks pay.

What in the world would we have to do to get some sort of rent control around here?

Never gonna happen.

[fluffythewondercat]

Originally Posted by Gentleman Jason

In my apartment complex, a lot of people who make $10-12/hr are paying anywhere from 50-70% of their take home pay for rent. Since the laws favor landlords so much, they usually manufacture some excuse to keep deposits too.

I'm not sure I understand this rant.

The security deposit exists to, if needed, compensate a landlord for damage to the unit caused by the renter. LLs in Arizona have to justify any deductions they make from the security deposit. People who believe that LLs "usually manufacture some excuse to keep deposits" are glossing over the real damage tenants cause that must be repaired before the unit can be re-rented.

The City of Phoenix has landlord/tenant counseling available to both parties. There are also tenants-rights organizations that tenants can avail themselves of.

I hate seeing my hard working neighbors have to work on their old cars themselves in the parking lot (which they aren't supposed to do)

Again I'm mystified. Are you suggesting your neighbors deserve new cars to be provided to them or they should have free car repair? People who own their own homes also "have to work on their old cars themselves."

What does this have to do with rent control?

I especialy hate when the children have very little toys or school supplies.

It seems you've identified a philanthropic opportunity: Buying toys and school supplies for the children. I'm sure they would appreciate whatever expenditure you make.

[GeneR]

Originally Posted by Gentleman Jason

What in the world would we have to do to get some sort of rent control around here?

Even those on the left think rent control is no solution according to an item published in The
Concise Encyclopedia of Economics:

"...Nobel laureate Gunnar Myrdal, an important architect of the Swedish Labor Party’s welfare state, on the “left.” Myrdal stated, “Rent control has in certain Western countries constituted, maybe, the worst example of poor planning by governments lacking courage and vision.”3 His fellow Swedish economist (and socialist) Assar Lindbeck asserted, “In many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city—except for bombing.”4