Tenants Rights
32 years after it was banned, could Massachusetts get rent control back?
In Massachusetts, the collection of more than 124,000 signatures makes it likely that a statewide rent control measure will be on the ballot in November.
January Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
New York and New Jersey enact new tenant protections, Brightline West announces an opening date, and could a Nevada law have killed tens of thousands of trees?
LA’s Laws Against Rent Gouging are Going Unused — Not Because it’s not Happening
The county has not fined anyone under new laws passed after last year’s wildfires.
DC Housing Advocates Warn of ‘Critical Data Gap’ as District is Poised to Roll Back Tenant Protections
The District lacks a system for tracking evictions trends.
NYC Rent Transparency Act Requires Public Notices on Rent-stabilized Apartments
The new law requires publicly posted notices in all buildings with at least one rent-stabilized unit.
Housing Justice Orgs in 9 States Join Forces
Bridge to Power aims to boost partner organizations’ capacity, information exchange, and agency.
NYC Mayor Mamdani’s First Executive Orders Focus on Tenant Protections, Reverse Adams Orders
A Mamdani order revokes all executive orders issued by former mayor Eric Adams, including one that created a city office focused on cryptocurrency.
New Jersey Court Ruling Clarifies Fair Eviction Law
The decision specifies the amount tenants must pay to avoid eviction.
What Makes a Habitable Rental Home?
Almost every state in the U.S. requires that landlords maintain safe and livable residential units. This is often called a "warranty of habitability." In some places, there are laws that specify exactly what those requirements are; in others, the standards are less defined.
What Happened to ‘Renter’s Choice’ Legislation?
Years ago, officials in dozens of cities and states showed interest in passing legislation that required landlords to accept alternatives to the traditional lump-sum security deposit. Today, much of that momentum has diminished.
Chicago Mayor ‘Willing to Consider’ Eviction Freeze as ICE Raids Mount
Tenant advocates say many workers are staying home due to fears of immigration raids, putting some households behind on rent.
In California, Opaque Utility Charges are Loopholing Rent Caps. Tenants are Fighting Back.
A commonly used billing system can allow landlords to quietly shift building utility costs onto tenants. Tenants say it’s time to break open the black box.
ICE Raids Are Eroding Tenant Rights for Immigrant Households
It’s getting tougher for immigrant communities to believe they still have rights as renters—even if they are living in the country legally. Here’s how tenant organizers are helping these communities push back against ICE and the landlords who are weaponizing the current political environment.
Landlords Fined for First Time Under WA’s New Law Capping Rent Increases
For the first time, Washington’s attorney general has enforced the state’s new cap on rent hikes, fining eight landlords $2,000 each for violating the law.
Report: Proposed DC RENTAL Law Would Harm Black and Low-Income Residents
The proposal would speed up evictions, eliminate some protections for tenants, and exempt buildings from a law that requires tenants have first right of purchase.
Washington’s New Rent Cap Set Just Below 10% for 2026
Washington’s statewide cap on annual residential rent increases will be just shy of 10 percent next year, down slightly from its current level.
After a Six-Year Struggle, Tenants in Boston’s Mattapan Neighborhood Win Permanent Affordability
When a new owner imposed sharp rent hikes in 2018, tenants organized and fought back. Now, more than 300 housing units will be affordable for the foreseeable future. Here’s how the tenants made it happen.
Legislators Push Back Against ‘Rent-Setting’ Software
In the last six months, lawmakers in more than two dozen cities and states have made strides to stop landlords from using anti-competitive rental software to determine how much to charge for rent. Shelterforce looks at the wins and losses so far.
What Zohran Mamdani’s Primary Win Means for the Tenant Movement
The mayoral candidate made a rent freeze central to his campaign. Here's how his supporters used in-person campaigning to clinch a victory, and what's ahead.
Tech Tools Help Tenants Push Back Against Problematic Landlords
Shelterforce found more than a dozen examples of tenant-serving technology that help renters identify landlords, respond to eviction, fight back against housing discrimination, and more.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
