Tenants Rights

NYC Bans Charging Tenants Broker’s Fees
Landlords can no longer tack on thousands of dollars in fees to new tenants to pay brokers who show rental units.

New California Law Protects Commercial Tenants
The law, modeled on residential tenants’ rights, acknowledges the uneven power dynamics between many small business owners and their commercial landlords.

DOJ: ‘Nuisance’ Evictions Could Break Federal Law
Ordinances that allow landlords to evict tenants for nuisance complaints or alleged criminal activity may run afoul of federal protections, the DOJ warns.

Chicago Tenants’ Union Distributes AC Units to Low-Income Renters
The group wants to draw attention to the dangers of extreme heat and encourage tenants to organize to demand improved conditions.

California Law Limits Security Deposits for Renters
Starting this month, landlords can no longer charge multiple months’ rent for security deposits.

Colorado Renter ‘Cash Back’ Program Rewards On-Time Rent Payments
The state is exploring a program that gives people a cash incentive for paying rent to offer renters some of the financial incentives homeowners receive.

Colorado Ends Non-Family Occupancy Limits
Local jurisdictions will no longer be able to limit how many unrelated adults can live in a household, a move that supporters say will help lower housing costs and help older adults supplement their incomes and stay in their homes.

HUD Proposal Would Soften ‘One-Strike’ Policy
Formerly incarcerated people are often barred from publicly subsidized housing, putting them at higher risk for homelessness and recidivism.

San Francisco Right to Counsel Program Prevents Hundreds of Evictions
A city program that gives at-risk tenants the right to a lawyer helped over 90 percent of participants avoid eviction.

Maryland Housing Laws Address Housing Shortage, Establish Renter Protections
An ambitious housing package establishes a Renters Bill of Rights and removes barriers to increased housing production.

Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.

How New California Housing Laws Will Impact Renters
Laws going into effect this year will affect regulations around security deposits, credit checks, and even e-scooters.

Kansas City Could Ban Source-of-Income Discrimination
The proposed law would eliminate a significant hurdle for many recipients of federal housing vouchers.

‘Renters Bill of Rights’ One Step Closer to Reality
The Biden administration could strengthen tenant protections on a national scale by leveraging federally backed mortgages to mandate rent stabilization and bar discrimination in rental housing.

Evictions on the Rise in California
As rent costs continue to grow and eviction protection programs lapse, eviction rates are spiking across the state.

Tenant-Led Organization Fights Back Against Discriminating Landlords
Although it’s technically illegal for landlords to deny housing voucher recipients, tenants around the country have been rejected or charged exorbitant fees for using vouchers.

Study: Households With Children Face Highest Risk of Eviction
U.S. renter families with children are evicted at a rate twice as high as those without children.

Boise City Council Defers Source-of-Income Discrimination Ban
The council asked for a more detailed policy, expressing concern about the added burden on smaller landlords and the housing supply.

Boise to Consider Tenant Protections Package
A proposed set of new regulations would call for relocation assistance for displaced renters and ban source of income discrimination.

Tacoma Coalition Calls for ‘Tenants’ Bill of Rights’
The group wants to put more power in the hands of tenants, but the city has its own, competing proposal for addressing the housing crisis.
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