As rents and housing costs continue to outpace incomes in Brevard County, Cocoa pushed forward with a proposal Tuesday night that could help tenants prepare for future rent increases. 

The ordinance—proposed by councilman LaVander Hearn—would require landlords to give at least 60 days notice on rent increases above 5% on annual leases, and at least 30 days of notice on month-to-month leases.

The motion to put the proposal to city staff for further review passed unanimously Tuesday evening at Cocoa City Hall. 

Councilman Alex Goins said he also wants the city to consider a 90-day notice of intent to sell so that renters can prepare to find new homes. 

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"If a resident is living in a property, and that owner is preparing to sell, they don't know what that potential buyer is going to do with the property," Goins said. 

Currently, there are no requirements for landlords to give tenants any notice on rent increases, while housing costs continue to outpace wages, putting more and more pressure on working families. 

Hearn headed off concerns about enforcing the potential new rule and said there were a number of ways to ensure residents could get the future notice they'd be guaranteed under the ordinance. 

"There's numerous ways to enforce it. We can put out an email or hotline if residents feel that they fit the criteria if their rent is being increased. We should be leading the way in Brevard County right now as we have numerous residents who are being affected." 

Over the past month, Hearn said a constituent reached out to him after a landlord notified her that she was only two weeks away from a $500 rent increase. Councilwoman Lorraine Koss said she had heard in the past of a Cocoa resident being forced to live in her car after being given only two week's notice that her rent was going up.

"This can lead to homelessness. This is simply encouraging communication and helping a problem we're seeing all over the U.S. right now," Hearn said. 

Mayor Mike Blake said he is concerned with protecting the rights of property owners in Cocoa and that he hopes city staff, council and landlords can come together to find the best way to incorporate such an ordinance.

Community services director Charlene Neuterman said the measure would not include any form of rent control, which would violate Florida state statutes. 

"We will have to do some research on how we will work through this process and provide education to the landlords and education to the tenants as to how they would notify the city... if the city chooses to enact this ordinance," she said. 

Neuterman said there will be further research, including on how similar ordinances were enacted Miami-Dade and Broward counties, so that city staff can ensure the potential ordinance will be within the bounds of Florida law.

City manager Stockton Whitten said the workshop will likely take place some time in July pending scheduling issues. 

Giving a 60-day notice may give renters more time to plan for other housing accommodations. But, according Florida International University's Dr. Edward Murray, an expert on housing market issues, "It's a band-aid solution."

Murray added that one of the problems Florida is currently facing is that rental rates skyrocketed in a short period of time and, because of Florida statues, there have been no protections against the increases. 

"Some counties are passing ordinances that require a 60-day notice ahead of rent increases and in the case of Miami-Dade, a 'Tenant Bill of Rights' legislation," he said.  

"All good temporary measures, but band-aids."

Tyler Vazquez is the North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-917-7491 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @tyler_vazquez

Florida Today staff writer Amira Sweilem contributed to this report.