TENANT LAWS AND YOU
It is estimated that around 1.3 million people live in rental housing across the city of Chicago. That translates to roughly 50% of the Chicago population,
and this number is expected to increase in the coming years. To help get ahead city, county and state governments work closely together to outline rules and regulations for the rental market that continue to change and evolve every year.
Tenant laws tend to change and differ state-to-state. Their main purpose is to outline the rights and responsibilities of both the renter and landlord, ensuring fair housing, habitability and clear
eviction protocols. Each state has their own set of laws and ordinances, but counties and cities have the ability to set their own laws and regulations. These fall directly in line with state laws but tend to be stricter and address reoccurring issues that may be specific to the county/city.
It is important for renters and landlords alike to stay updated with any changes or laws that are passed in their state or local governments. On average 10 to 12 major changes are made each year to each State’s standing rental and property management regulations. Changes made take effect on January 1st every year and their impact on renters and landlords varies from administrative to habitability.
This year, California made some significant changes that effects habitability across the state. California Law AB 628 now requires landlords to provide a working refrigerator capable of storing food and a working stove and oven capable of generating heat for cooking. This new law affects hundreds of rental units across the state including 4S Bay’s studio unit at the Illinois Out West property in San Diego. Due to very limited space, this studio apartment was not previously equipped with a stove/oven. Therefore, a strategy is being developed on how to best make the changes without sacrificing the functionality of the unit and maintaining costs down. Not every tenant law is as impactful as this, but it serves as a reminder to stay updated on state and local changes.
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