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Politics & Government

Township Officials Reject Instituting Temporary Rent Freeze

A small group of Bloomfield tenants and landlords speak out for and against a rent freeze. Township officials said the issue needs to be studied further and will appoint a Rent Control Advisory Board.

Efforts to get a temporary rent freeze in Bloomfield did not go far at the township council meeting Monday night.

Kevin Lindahl and Patricia Comstock, members of the Bloomfield Tenants Association, and Barbara Minwalla, another township resident, asked township officials to consider setting a rent freeze until the municipality creates a Rent Control Advisory Board and reviews the issue of rent control in the community.

Lindahl said he's received complaints from many residents about rent hikes - some as high as 15 percent. Lindahl said he's informally spoken to more than 90 residents in the township who would support a rent freeze or rent control.

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Minwalla and Comstock said their rent increases have become higher than their Social Security payments and they have had to dip into their savings. Minwalla and Comstock also said a temporary rent freeze would help other residents who are unemployed and looking for full-time work.

"It's not illegal. It's not forever and ever," Comstock said. "It's until we reach an understanding on rent control."

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A small group of landlords also showed up at the Monday meeting to speak out against the idea of a rent freeze — a few even volunteered to help advise the council on rent issues.

Alan Hammer, an attorney who owns eight buildings in the township, said landlords should be allowed to have reasonable rent increases.

"We run a good business and it costs money to take care of our buildings and rehabilitate them all the time," Hammer said.

Hammer said state law prevents landlords from raising rents by an inordinate rate and those rent hikes could be challenged in court.

Anthony Lauro, of Affliated Management, said he's been in the business for 19 years and he said the landlords he knew have been willing to listen to tenants who believe their rents were excessive. Lauro also offered to serve on the advisory board.

Township Attorney Brian Aloia said he looked into the issue and his legal opinion was the council could be exposed to additional liability from lawsuits by instituting a rent freeze.

Aloia said the council will have to do further work to make sure it was on "firm ground" before putting in a rent freeze ordinance.

Mayor Raymond McCarthy said the township will move forward with appointing representatives to the Rent Control Advisory Board.

The issue of rent control has been an ongoing topic of discussion during the past year when tenants from the Troy Towers apartment complex complained of rent hikes of 15 to 20 percent. The tenants sought to re-institute the township's pre-1994 rent control law.

The council rejected a rent control ordinance twice during votes in February and May. In June, township officials agreed to form a committee to study rents in the township.

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