Protest against the proposed Tucson Rent Tax, 4/28/09

[wyldemusick]

Protest page with information.Basically, the Mayor and Council are going to be discussing implementing on a tax on rentals. This will be a 2% tax, and though it seems a small percentage, it will be an additional hardship for a lot of people, as well as providing landlords with an additional procedural burden

Comments

[tatoeba_tadayou]

thanks for the link (and Kynn, for writing it). This part is what stands out to me:
"The rental tax is used in many other communities. Our sources tell us that it used to be charged in Tucson, but it was repealed as a sort of trade-off when state lawmakers started making landlords pay more in property taxes. Those lawmakers, a few years later, changed their minds and gave landlords a property-tax break, but the city never went back to charging landlords their 2 percent tax."

... why should a rental property be exempt from property taxes? aren't property taxes part of how local school districts are funded? roar roar etc etc

[kynn]

That's me quoting the Tucson Weekly, which doesn't say who their sources are. And I sure wish they had, because that's an important part of the equation here.

[anonymous]

It doesn't say they don't pay property taxes, it says they no longer have to pay way more than everyone else.

Funding schools with property tax is ridiculous anyway.

[curbbrat]

thanks for this. i don't care what half brained argument someone wants to make that we need taxes for services, which is TRUE, so tax effing business and what have you. all this would do is allow rental agencies to justify increasing rent in a shit economy where more folks have to rent having lost their freaking house.

who in their right mind can argue for blatant tax increases for the poor? why aren't they examining a property tax increase for home owners and business owners (which would generate a hell of a lot more than an estimated 12 million from bleeding the poor), oh yeah because poor people are a voice no one cares to represent.

[kynn]

all this would do is allow rental agencies to justify increasing rent ...

Then why are the rental agencies arguing against it?

[curbbrat]

simple, until any current leases run out real estate agencies can't raise rent so that could be up to a year, or in rare cases two, of an additional cost for them. it sure isn't going to stop them from increasing rent once a persons lease is up. in case you were unaware renters have no protection here in tucson, there's no maximum rate increase cap for rental agencies, they can raise your rent however they please once your initial lease ends

[kynn]

simple, until any current leases run out real estate agencies can't raise rent so that could be up to a year, or in rare cases two, of an additional cost for them.

Actually, that isn't the case. The taxes get passed along to the renter in most every situation, regardless of lease.

i am also in favor of a better enforced and clear tenant bill of rights, as is the city doesn't even enforce the existing one and thus our city is rampant with scum lords.

You do realize that the "scum lords" are represented by the organization that is putting together the astroturf protest tomorrow, right?

what is wrong with the agencies that provide housing for that population, by making a profit by renting housing to said population, fighting this rate increase?You call them "agencies" but really they're businesses. Is there anything wrong with them fighting that? Well, no, of course, not -- they're trying to make a buck. But the problem is when they claim that they're concerned about the poor, and get low-income folks to turn out to support a cause

[kynn]

I'm just wondering if the same folks (Arizona Multihousing Association) would be in favor of rent increase freezes mandated by the city council.

[alsoname]

Why is this post tagged with "crime" and "downtown"?

Is there any place to get more detailed information on the proposed rent tax? I can't find answers to the questions I'm looking for, and without them I can't decide whether I'm for or against this proposal.

[kynn]

Here's the Tucson Weekly's column about it by Jim Nintzel.

Here's the Daily Star's article about the hearing.

Here's Josh Brodesky's ADS real estate column in which he seems to argue against the tax increase.

[alsoname]

Thanks for that! Apparently my Google skills suck because I was not having luck finding any information.

And the articles were very helpful, too.

[anonymous]

If you sign the petition DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR EMAIL unless you want them to spam you to hell.

(A general rule for all petitions, everywhere, actually.)