When I first saw the Tenant Bill of Rights, my first thought was that many of these proposals seem so obvious that I can’t believe they are not laws already. Not only will the Tenant Bill of Rights greatly improve the lives of thousands of renters across Minnesota, it won’t cost the state a dime. These are simple proposals that allow renters to be treated fairly. Implementing these proposals would even help tenants and landlords resolve issues themselves, rather than having to go to court.
For example, the right to a receipt for rent paid would reduce the number of tenants having to go to court to defend that they have paid their rent. We have heard stories of landlords sending eviction notices to tenants saying that they have not paid their rent, however, the tenant has no way to prove they have, since they have never gotten a receipt. Would you ever buy a new TV and be satisfied without getting a receipt, only to get home a find that it doesn’t work? Definitely not. So why should the circumstances be any different for rent?
Allowing tenants and landlords to resolve their own issues would then reduce the expense of paying court fees. However, if the issue cannot be resolved and must go to court, it only seems fair that the tenant should get his/her court fees paid for if he/she wins in court, assuming the landlord has the same right. Also, charges brought against the tenant should be removed from their record if they win the case. How is it fair for renters to be judged based on events that they are not guilty of?
It is absolutely ridiculous that anyone should have to live in a cold home. Landlords should be required to keep their buildings heated to at least 68˚F from October 1st to April 30th. It is not fair that a person should have to live in a cold building if they do not have control of the thermostat. All buildings should be held to the same standard and bad landlords should not be allowed to take advantage of renters who don’t know their rights.
Currently, many renters are afraid to fight these issues in their buildings out of fear of retaliation. Until better legislation is passed that allows renters who protest to defend themselves, bad landlords are going to continue to take advantage of tenants.
These are just some of the problems that our staff hears about everyday that jump out at me. I can’t believe these laws are not in place already.
