Bill Pushed To Curb High PA Rental Costs

PENNSYLVANIA — Two state representatives from Bucks and Montgomery counties are pushing legislation to curb the costs of rent increases for state residents.

State Reps. Jim Prokopiak, D-Bucks, and Nancy Guenst, D-Montgomery, held a press conference this week to encourage support for legislation that would limit how much rent can be raised by landlords and prevent increases from significantly outpacing inflation and tenants’ income.

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House Bill 914, introduced by Prokopiak and Guenst, would protect renters by setting limits on how much a landlord can increase their rent by each year, with exceptions for renovations or other legitimate reasons to increase rent beyond the set rate.

The limit would be 3 percent of the base rent plus inflation or 6 percent of the base rent, whichever is lower.

The bill is in the House Housing and Community Development Committee, awaiting further action.

“Rents have become unaffordable for many here in Bucks and Montgomery counties, even for those with good-paying jobs,” said Prokopiak, who represents several towns in Lower Bucks County. “One of the causes for these skyrocketing costs is the rise of large corporations and private equity firms purchasing huge portions of the rental market. It’s long past time to enact a solution.”

In Pennsylvania, more than 43 percent of renters are considered rent burdened, meaning they spend over 30 percent of their monthly income on rent.

Prokopiak said that, with the proliferation of cheap money, private equity firms, and the need to deliver large profits to shareholders, these corporations see an untapped revenue source in gouging prices for apartments and rentals.

“This legislation does not take away property rights, nor does it stop development,” said Guenst, who represents Hatboro and several other towns in eastern Montgomery County. “What it does is give local communities the option to put reasonable guardrails in place to prevent sudden, excessive rent spikes that destabilize families and neighborhoods.”

California and Oregon have already enacted similar rent stabilization laws.

Middletown Township Supervisor Ryan Leighton also spoke about the problems young people are experiencing in the community.

“I’m a lifelong resident of Levittown — this place will always be my home, but for many young people in my generation, staying in the communities we grew up in is becoming increasingly out of reach,” Leighton said.

Correne Kristiansen, advocacy coordinator at the Bucks-Mont Collaborative, also fought for the bill.

She said that when people have a safe, stable place to live, they can hold down a job, keep their kids in school, manage their physical and mental health, and contribute to their communities.

"Our struggling families deserve to be shielded from large rental increases — and that’s what House Bill 914 does,” said Prokopiak. “It’s a commonsense measure that will alleviate stress on countless Pennsylvanians across the commonwealth.”