BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Extra fees may be a thing of the past for Bellingham renters.

The Bellingham City Council heard a presentation on “junk fees” from Legislative Policy Analyst Iris Nott on Sept. 30 during a committee of the whole meeting.

According to Nott the costs—nicknamed junk fees—are added to rent that renters have to pay for often unclear reasons. The ordinance introduced would seek to do away with the fees and require transparency around costs and excessive fees.

Council member Michael Lilliquist wanted to talk about shifting how rent is viewed and use it as a source for landlords to recoup expenses.

“I mean there’s a conceptual shift here,” Lilliquist said. “When I was a renter, I wasn’t nickeled and dimed. I paid rent and it covered a lot.”

Council member Lisa Anderson mentioned that additional payments like late fees are important for mom-and-pop landlords.

“I know several [landlords] that that payment is how they pay the mortgage,” Anderson said. “If it’s two weeks late, they’re going to struggle. You know, the mom-and-pop level don’t have the deep bank.”

The council will continue to revisit the ordinance in the coming days.