The Michigan Senate is currently considering a set of bills that could potentially grant renters additional rights and protections while simultaneously holding property owners accountable for living conditions that are unsafe or unfit for human habitation.
A set of four bills known as the “Tenant Empowerment Package” was presented by Representative Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing), who is a Democrat. The purpose of these bills is to impose stringent deadlines on property owners with regard to the maintenance of rental properties, the increase of rent rates, and the return of security deposits.
Senate Bills 19 and 20 would mandate that landlords address maintenance issues that are deemed to be hazardous to the life, health, or safety of the tenant within forty-eight hours of the tenant’s complaining about them. Furthermore, it would mandate that landlords address any mold or pest infestations within a period of seven days, as well as any other repairs that may be necessary. Tenants would have the ability to place their rent payments into an escrow account in order to exercise their right to withhold rent payments until repairs are finished under Senate Bill 19. In addition, tenants have the ability to make repairs on their own and receive a deduction for the costs from their rent.
In order to increase rent rates, property owners would be required to provide a notice period of ninety days under SB 21.
Rather than being returned through a physical check, SB 22 would make it possible for security deposits to be returned electronically.
According to Erika Farley, executive director of the Rental Property Owners Association of Michigan, “We are in full support of that [SB 22], we want to see that bill as it is, and we want to move forward as quickly as possible.”
As far as Farley is concerned, the stringent deadlines that are proposed in the package of bills could potentially have a negative impact on the availability of housing in the state of Michigan.
“We want to make sure that the overwhelming majority of property owners who are doing their jobs and making sure that they have healthy and safe properties, that there aren’t kind of bad consequences on them to make it harder to get into the industry,” Farley explained to reporters, “When things get harder and there’s more regulations, prices go up, less people want to own the rental properties, and then there’s less availability for people to actually live in these homes,”
Tenants in West Michigan have a significant problem with living conditions that are not suitable for them, and the package of bills intends to hold landlords accountable for this problem.
“They should be expected to maintain the place as well,” said Tristen Jessup, a tenant organizer with We the People Michigan. “We are expected to pay our rent on time, and they should be expected to maintain the place.” As far as the upkeep of the property is concerned, that is the responsibility of the landlord. In particular, if it is an emergency situation, they should be managing that as quickly as possible in order to guarantee the well-being of their tenants and to guarantee the quality of the environment in which they are residing.
‘Taking a hatchet to something that needs a scalpel’ is what Farley means when he says that the bill package is being proposed. Instead of addressing the larger problem of property owners who are not committed to the safety of their tenants, Farley is concerned that the bill would have a negative impact on the vast majority of property owners who are committed to the safety of their tenants.
After receiving a favorable vote from the Senate Housing and Human Services Committee, the Tenant Empowerment Bills are now on their way to the full Michigan State Senate, where they will be waiting to be voted on.
