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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Blueprint for Renters Bill of Rights

In order to further the principle of fair housing, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced new action to increase fairness in the rental market. 

In addition, the Administration released in tandem a blueprint for a “Renters Bill of Rights” [1] which lays out a set of principles to drive action by all levels of government and the private sector to strengthen tenant protections in order to encourage rental affordability. 

Key actions highlighted by the White House include:  

The Renters Bill of Rights aims to give basic, key protections every renters deserves: 

Over a third of the American population – 44 million households – rent their homes. Before the pandemic, well over 2 million eviction fillings and roughly 900,000 evictions occurred annually – disproportionately affecting Black women and their children. Since then, rental housing has become less affordable with some landlords taking advantage of market conditions to pursue egregious rent increases.  Today’s announcements recognize there are responsible housing providers – large and small, national and local – willing to treat renters fairly, but it also holds accountable those who exploit market realities at the cost of renters’ housing access and stability. 

After the announcement, the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) released a statement on the news: 

“The NMHC has worked in good faith with the Administration on its Resident-Centered Housing Challenge and is pleased to join that challenge. While they have rejected calls for failed policies such as national rent control, we are disappointed they are pursuing potentially duplicative and onerous regulations that are already appropriately addressed under state and local law. These efforts will do nothing to address the nation’s housing shortage and could discourage much-needed investments in housing. We continue to urge the Administration to prioritize enacting the Housing Supply Action Plan they issued in May. The best renter protection is an abundant supply of housing.” 

MBA's President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB, released the following statement on the Biden Administration’s action items announcement today on rental tenant protections and affordability:  

“MBA shares the Biden administration’s commitment to fair and equitable rental housing opportunity and appreciates its willingness to work with us and other industry stakeholders to help tenants. 

“We echo the Administration’s concern on the inflationary pressures and persistent affordability challenges that are impacting households throughout the country, especially renters and those with low and moderate incomes. 

“Increasing the supply of affordable rental housing is the best way to solve the ongoing affordability crisis, and MBA is committed to working with the Administration, Congress, and other policymakers on safe and sound policies at the federal and state level that encourage development and keep financing and construction costs in check. 

“We will examine the Administration’s actions in greater detail and participate in a constructive and collaborative approach to help tenants and increase safe and affordable multifamily housing. 

Click here [2] to view the announcement in its entirety.