Nearly half of San Diegans rent their homes, and every one of them is feeling the pressure of rising costs. From groceries to utilities to insurance, everything is getting more expensive. This is exactly why it’s so frustrating to watch our local governments focus on problems that don’t exist, while ignoring the ones that do.
The latest example is the city and county of San Diego’s proposed “junk fee” ordinance.
Our elected leaders claim they’re helping renters by cracking down on hidden or excessive rental fees. But instead of using data or documenting a real problem in the market, the ordinance would micro-manage how housing providers can charge for basic services like pest control and trash collection.
On paper, the joint ordinance promises transparency. In reality, it adds another layer of red tape, making it even harder to provide housing.
Furthermore, the proposal wouldn’t change the bottom line. As is fair, renters must pay for the cost of services that they use or benefit from — either as pass-through fees or in the form of higher rent.
Meanwhile, the real financial pressures facing renters are being ignored. City water rates are going up 31% over the next two years. Trash collection and sewer fees are going up too. Insurance costs have spiked. And now, due to federal funding cuts, thousands of San Diego families may see their housing vouchers reduced. That means they may have to pay significantly more toward rent – up to 40% of their income.
None of this has anything to do with landlords. But somehow landlords continue to be the political punching bag.
And the most important fact is this: there is no evidence that rental “junk fees” are happening in San Diego. Neither the city nor the county has presented any data showing widespread abuse. Instead, we have politicians searching for a problem they can “solve” — but it’s meaningless.
The junk fee proposal also conflicts with existing laws. California already bans hidden fees through Senate Bill 478, and it already limits screening and application costs under Assembly Bill 2493. To make things even more confusing, the city and county can’t agree on what should be allowed: one wants to permit trash pass-through charges, the other wants to ban them.
Housing providers are already struggling to keep up. Between San Diego, Chula Vista, and Imperial Beach, the Southern California Rental Housing Association now tracks 16 separate compliance forms just to help rental operators stay within the law.
Think red tape doesn’t matter? A recent MetroSight study confirms what those housing providers have long said: overregulation drives up rents, especially for lower-income renters and those living in small, multifamily buildings. In the San Diego region, overlapping rules have added as much as $1,700 per unit per year in costs.
At a time when the cost of living keeps rising, San Diego should be laser-focused on solutions that actually lower housing costs.
Why aren’t our elected officials focusing on laws that could really make a difference? They could fund more rental assistance to make up for cuts at the federal level. They could push legislation to make it easier to build more homes. They could advocate for reform in out-of-control insurance costs that drive up the cost of housing.
None of that is happening. Instead, the city and county are debating more regulation that means nothing because it won’t house a single person.
Alan Pentico is the executive director of the Southern California Rental Housing Association.
