WRITTEN BY HBA AND AAM CEO, FORREST M. WALL, CAE
Anti-Rental Housing Proposals Released
Rep. Emily Dievendorf (D-77th District) has released an outline for a future set of bills referred to as a “Renter’s Bill of Rights.” In the outline it is stated that this package “seeks to rebalance the power between landlords and tenants, guarantee the safety of housing, codify the right of tenants to advocate for themselves, and to establish fairness in building equity.” Some of the proposals to be included in the package include:
• Rent Control
> Removes ban on local restrictions on rent control policies
• Fee Limitations
> Restricts application fees and/or the percentage of rent that a landlord can charge for a rental deposit
• Relocation Assistance
> Landlord must pay amount toward moving costs for tenants displaced by housing rehabilitation, demolition, or other breaks in the lease
• Fair Chance (already introduced as HB 4878)
> Restricts use of criminal record in applicant screening
• First Come, First Served
> Requires landlords to accept the first application that meets their rental requirements
• Renter Agency for Repairs
> Allows tenants to take care of repairs themselves and charge landlord
• Right to Organize
> Prevents landlords from interfering if renters decide to form a union
• Just-Cause Eviction
> Limits when and how landlords can remove tenants by forcing them to prove that the situation meets a certain standard to justify eviction
• Adequate Notice for Rent Changes
> Requires certain amount of warning for raising rent
• Right of First Refusal
> When a landlord puts a building up for sale, this gives tenants the power to band together and put up money to purchase the building
• Right-To-Counsel
> Guarantees all renters have publicly subsidized legal representation
• Eviction Expungement
> Creates expungement of eviction history if tenant has caught up on back-end rent
• Credit History
> Eliminates credit history as means of considering a tenant’s ability to afford a rental residence
• Landlord Licensing
> Requires landlords to be licensed and complete continuing education
AAM-PAC Support Critically Important
We need your help to maintain our strong voice for the multifamily rental property industry. The Apartment Association of Michigan Political Action Committee (AAM-PAC) accepts contributions from members and aggregates them into one fund, which then financially supports those elected officials who understand the important role of rental housing in Michigan’s economy. You must be an AAM or HBA Member to contribute to the fund, which has a fundraising goal of $150,000 for 2023. Remember, an AAM-PAC contribution must be made via personal, partnership, LLP, or LLC check or credit card.