Senator Lieu has passed another piece of boutique legislation, one which would prevent landlords from forcing tenants to pay their rent online only. The South Bay legislator is responding to a number of complaints from citizens who did not have easy access to computers in order to pay their rent electronically.
The legislation is certainly a sop to the elderly, many of whom vote in greater number than other cohorts in his district. Once again, Senator Lieu is stepping into a business which he has no knowledge of.
Granted, I would find it both frustrating and difficult if I had to pay my rent every month on-line. I would find it very difficult, indeed. Still, the prerogative of landlords permits them to gather their rents as they see fit. Individuals who find the methods difficult of taxing should consider moving to another complex altogether.
However, the state legislature insists on stepping into a matter best resolved at the local level. The elder have plenty of advocates, if not family members, who can assist them in providing timely payments for their apartments.
Perhaps Senate Lieu would like to consider how to assist individuals who currently cannot pay their rent at all? It would be better if Lieu initiated much-needed deregulation of the housing markets and doing away with rent control in Santa Monica, which has led owners and developers to create housing that is overpriced and unavailable.
The housing crises which afflict every age group in the state of California cannot be solved by making it more difficult for landlords to collect the money that is owed to them. The zoning laws which stifle real estate investment and discourage construction do not assist in easing the burden of individuals looking for a permanent residence.
The state legislature could do so much more for the citizens in this state if they would insist on doing much less.
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