I am a renter who is forced to pay exorbitant prices for housing in an apartment that hasn't seen an upgrade since 1965. This situation is not unique to me; countless others are facing the same predicament. We are calling for a change in how rental prices are determined - by implementing a cap on price per square foot of livable space according to the condition of the apartment, its location and amenities. If Martin Shkreli could be put in jail for raising the price of medicine within his company, making it unaffordable for most people then I don't see any difference in landlords charging absurd prices for trash apartments. As a contractor who works on many of these apartments I deal with more slumlords than I can keep track of. They always want to put band-aids on repairs or are asking to cut corners on things to save money and not give renters what they're paying for. Enough is F*#*king enough. 

The current system allows landlords to set arbitrary rates without considering these factors. According to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies (2017), nearly half of U.S renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing – well above the affordability threshold. This indicates that many people are living in substandard conditions despite paying high rents.

We propose a fairer system where rent is tied directly to what you get – factoring in the condition of your apartment, its location, and amenities provided. A trash pit that hasn't seen any upgrades and isn't up to current code due to being "grandfathered in" should never cost as much as they do. I believe rent prices should be capped by condition of the properties and amenities they offer. Such measures have been successful elsewhere; Berlin implemented a five-year rent freeze in 2020 which has helped keep housing affordable for its residents.

We urge lawmakers and regulators to consider this proposal seriously as it will provide relief from skyrocketing rents while ensuring landlords receive fair compensation based on what they offer. It will also hold landlords accountable to keep their properties up to date and safe for tenants if they want to get rich off rent. Making them have to upgrade their properties in order to get the highest allowable rent. Please sign this petition if you believe everyone deserves access to affordable housing that reflects what they pay for it.

I've also recently heard numerous cases where landlords don't give back deposits due to basic maintenance and cleaning between tenants. Last I checked, that's not legal. 

**UPDATE after 100 signatures. - We're still pushing forward to try getting this recognized the way it should be.  I'm also teaming up with an investor to look into starting a project for AFFORDABLE, community based living. We'll be making buildings specifically for helping communities most in need first. Some ideas are a "Veterans Building" which 1'st floor would be lobby/mail, counseling for service related issues, job placement assitance and a gym.  A building for single parents with 1'st floor having the lobby and mail but also a daycare so tenants can have a safe and secure place for their children or someone "on call" for older children that parents can set up "check-ins" or be able to have someone there in case of emergency. It would have a shop with basic items and tenants can also request items for the shop we can look into.  Having services like this and taking advantage of different grants and resources to keep costs down will still make it possible without charging these crazy prices. If anyone signing has interest in being involved with these projects please reach out by either commenting, or sending an email to BarKodeLLC@gmail.com and let us know any thoughts, ideas and if you'd like to partner up with us in some fashion. Thanks for the support!!