While catching up to the latest rental housing laws at the end of each year can be a little intense, legislators had a field day with 2019. This year some crazy rental housing laws were passed… some good, some scary, and some downright surprising. Take a look at our top 5 craziest rental laws passed this year and see if your city or state made it on our list.
5. The Crazy Good: Service Animal Documentation Illinois
Rental property owners and property managers, rejoice! Illinois’ new law on assistance animal documentation is crazy good, and an answer to many properties’ prayers.
With this law, rental owners who receive a request to make an exception to the no-pet policy (on the basis of the need for an assistance or service animal) will be able to require the applicant/tenant to provide reliable documentation of the disability and disability-related need for the animal. While this law prohibits pet-related deposits, fees, or a pet related assessment fee for service animal requests, it does allow properties to charge renters for any repairs related to the animal (minus normal wear and tear). This is one crazy law we hope will spread.
4. The Crazy Scary: Resident Screening Restrictions Portland, OR
On the flip side, Portland, OR’s screening ordinance is one law we do not want to spread. This ordinance restricts the property owner’s ability to perform tenant screening, by giving them two options: 1) use the city’s “low-barrier” criteria or 2) adopt an individualized assessment model.
Unfortunately, this law already went into effect on October 1, 2019, and isn’t unique. Minneapolis, MN also passed a similar two-option ordinance this year. There have been quite a few (thankfully, failed) attempts this year to change how rental properties vet their applicants across the nation, making laws like these potentially crazy scary.
3. Bye, Eviction Records New York
In the same vein as setting crazy scary resident screening limitations, New York has decided rental property owners should say goodbye to eviction records. Their new law penalizes rental property owners who deny an applicant based on a pending or prior landlord-tenant litigation. It also establishes a “rebuttable presumption” that an owner is in violation if they request eviction records from a resident screening company or inspect related court records and the applicant is denied.
While this rule might make you want to say, ‘Bah Humbug’, you’ll want to stay away from violating it as it could cost you between $500 – $1,000 for each violation.
2. Rent Control, Eviction Regulations, and Relocation Fees… Need We Say More? California
Sound the alarm – rent control is officially here! After years of back and forth, California finally passed a behemoth rent control law. Not only does this new law limit annual rent increases to 5% plus a change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for a maximum total increase of 10%, but it also imposes new “just cause” eviction rules and requires relocation assistance or rent waivers for “no-fault” evictions. Oh, and did we mention new notice requirements too?
This law has been the talk of the town within the industry as it affects a pretty much all of the rental properties in California in one way or another (remember, you have to provide notice if you aren’t subject to this law too).
If you haven’t already, take a look at our deep dive into this new law and download our full 2019 legislative round up… as this is not the only crazy law California has passed this year.
1. A Renter’s Right to a Roommate Seattle, WA
The law that takes the cake is Seattle’s roommates rights ordinance. While California’s new rent control law came in close as it passes so much change and affects so many, when it comes to true crazy rental housing laws, Seattle’s ordinance came right out of left field.
This ordinance gives residents the right to add a roommate, family member, or family members of a roommate to the lease so long as it’s compliant with the unit’s occupancy limits and 30-day notice is provided. That’s it. Owners are prohibited from imposing conditions, including additional resident screening criteria.
Regardless if the rental housing law might be a little crazy, it’s important to be mindful that all of the housing laws passed in 2019 invoke some sort of change. From notice requirements to eviction procedures to new protected classes, make sure your rental properties are staying up-to-date with all of 2019’s new laws.
3 Replies to “The Top 5 Craziest Rental Housing Laws of 2019”
Could you please tell me if my CA property is exempt from the new rules? I have four free standing houses, each with a separate address. They are all on one parcel in Sonoma County, and I live in one. Thanks.
Hi Anne – unfortunately we are unable to provide guidance that may constitute legal advice regarding specific properties. What I can say is depending on whether your properties classify as single-family or multi-family that may make a difference. To best protect your specific assets I recommend you consult with an attorney specialized in property law, or reach out to your local or state apartment association.
Who the hell brought up that ridicules “no criminal and eviction screening”. Some one who is not a homeowner of cause, and never had to deal with an abusive tenant, drug dealer, gang members, free loader, who thinks they have a right to destroy your property (i.e., walls, pipes) and live for free, because the system enables these individual with rights, so the system can make money at the sometime. Whatever happen to the written law “you don’t work, you don’t eat” same goes for putting a roof over your head. If you want to live rent free, then our beautiful system of bureaucrats should provide government own parcel of lots to individual that want to live rent free. Small homeowner will suffer the most, not the BIG land owners. Bad enough the system is robbing homeowner’s of their property taxes, now we have to accept this bullshit excuse of how our government officials want to justify the housing crisis, by becoming babysitters to some individuals who have no morals and believe that they have the right to reside in someone else’s home for free, then our justice system comes and put judgment and bleeds the small homeowner for months or years of court fee, to the point of foreclosure and ultimately bankruptcy. So, to my representatives who are so adamant of no screening and eviction, why don’t you invite a perfect stranger into your home with your wife and kids, without checking them out and tell me how you feel, or sleep at night.