Adequate housing is a human right, and landlords are legally mandated to ensure that their residential rental properties are healthy, safe, and sanitary. However, in my district, residents at the Brith Shalom senior housing complex faced horrific living conditions after the owner stripped the property’s equity, leaving it severely deteriorated and its tenants suffering. We must do better to protect our tenants from such unscrupulous landlords.
 
That is why I am introducing legislation strengthening our existing laws to hold landlords accountable and better protect tenants. My bill would ensure that landlords meet their obligation to maintain a habitable residential rental property when they take out equity. Additionally, the bill would empower municipalities to determine if a landlord abandoned their residential rental property and penalize them accordingly. Finally, the bill would clarify that whenever an apartment goes into receivership, the receiver must ensure that the apartment remains habitable.
 
Housing plays a central role in our lives, and it is essential that we ensure landlords are meeting their obligations. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to hold landlords accountable and protect tenants.
 

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0298: P.L.69, No.20