I support the Tenant Bill of Rights because …
Hundreds of Minnesotans show their support for tenants' rights.
Here’s what Minnesota tenants and their allies are telling us about why they support tenant protections:
1. Tina: ”… I believe having a home is a basic human right”
2. Mel: “… where you live shouldn’t determine whether or not you have rights”
3. Kristin: ”… tenants deserve to feel secure in their own home”
4. Karin: “… EVERYONE deserves safe and affordable housing”
5. Cyndi: “… it creates landlord accountability and it promotes the fair treatment of individuals”
6. Gina: ” … no one should be taken advantage of”
7. V: “… everyone deserves to live with dignity in this society”
8. Mitch: ” … all tenants deserve safe, affordable housing”
9. Sean: ” … tenants should be allowed to have the same legal protections as landlords”
10. Sarah: “… all tenants deserve to know where home is”
11. Mike V: “… in these times of economic adversity, the very least we can provide for Minnesota renters are laws that help provide safe housing and are consistent with landlord/tenant laws throughout the rest of the country”
12. Eric H: “… I’ve seen far too many tenants taken advantage of”
13. Julie: “… Minnesota is so far behind what many state’s do to protect renters”
14. Matt: “… tenants are innocent victims when their landlords face foreclosure”
15. Tim: “… some tenants are living in places that are in dire need of rehab … they need help”
16. Tracey: “… tenants need additional rights to organize”
17. Rachel K: “Shelter/housing is a basic need that should be a human right. We focus on disasters that leave people without homes, Artists raise money, movie stars raise awareness and money, the government makes it a priority and I’m not saying they shouldn’t. Homelessness is a continuous disaster and tenants’ rights are one way of preventing it.”
18. Carla P: “A cornerstone of our United States judicial system is that it aspires to be fair to everyone … The way Minnesota treats its tenants currently is unfair. Minnesota should join the trend of other states, or even lead the way on these issues.”
19. Mark T: “a heated house should be the least of a renter’s concerns. As a busy student, I can’t afford to worry whether my landlord will provide the basic necessities.”
20. Tess G: “I think of all my friends who could have been helped if these additional protections were law. This will result in real improvements in people’s lives. We need to make this happen.”
21. Addison L: “ it won’t cost the state a dime. These are simple proposals that allow renters to be treated fairly.”
22. Deb R: “”… when my grandparents had to move from rental housing into assisted-living, it was a nightmare!”
23. Deb H: “I support the Tenant Bill of Rights because increased tenant protections means less homelessness.”
24. Sam S: “stronger tenants rights are fundamental in making safe, affordable housing a reality.”
25. Ali: ”Tenants shouldn’t be forced to go without basics like electricity and heat just because a landlord doesn’t respond during an emergency situation”
26. Ashley: “There needs to be more affordable housing so that everyone can have a place to call home”
27. Ellie: ”Every person deserves a safe place to live”
28. Faith: “Finding inexpensive, yet safe housing is extremely difficult. Giving tenants additional rights will make it a little easier to find a nice place to live.”
29. Hassan: ”Having protections for tenants helps to keep people in their home. No person or family should end up on the streets because of unjust landlord/tenant laws”
30. Jamie: “a tenant should be able to break the lease if the landlord is not maintaining the rental property. Too many people get stuck in a bad housing situation ”
31. Keith: “Housing is crucial to a healthy life. Employment, education, etc. are almost impossible to think about when you are worried about where you will sleep at night”
32. Michelle: “Everyone deserves a home”
33. Phil: “Housing is a human right and a healthy, secure home is critical to being able to thrive”
34. Sarah A: “Renters shouldn’t have to worry whether or not a landlord will keep their home safe and in working condition”
35. Meg: “tenants deserve to live in a warm apartment”
36. Dani: “Tenants that are treated well are happy tenants”
37. Jon: “I think renters’ right are important to our security to prevent injustices from those in power”
38. Lily – “Tenants should be able to afford where they live”
39. Andrew – “As a student, it’s almost impossible to find inexpensive housing close to campus. Tenants need access to more affordable housing options.
40. Sadie – “Tenants should be treated fairly.”
41. Anna – “its impossible to get a hold of my landlord. I have no idea what I would do in an emergency.”
42. David – “Renters shouldn’t have to jump through so many hoops just to get something in their apartment fixed”
43. Elysia – “Housing is such a vital part of an individuals life. Laws that protect from discrimination should already be in place.”
44. Meghan – “Finding a place to live is stressful enough without worrying if the landlord will actually uphold his/her half of the lease”
45. Patrick W: I support the Minnesota Tenant Bill of Rights, because renters are NOT second-class citizens.
46. Emeline: Everyone deserves a home that they can feel safe to be themselves in and to live in a home without fear of others taking advantage of them. The Minnesota Tenant Bill of Rights makes great strides to ensure that every tenant is treated fairly. In many cases the landlord is in the best position to mitigate a problem and allowing a landlord to sit on his hands and charge someone a large bill is not being tolerated in Minnesota with the passage of the Duty to Mitigate section of the Minnesota Tenant Bill of Rights.
47. Jackie G. “It’s good to have support during a time in my life when I have to rent.”
48. Connie A. “I want to see Minnesota tenant laws become more progressive.”
49. Wes H. “I’ve been renting too long not to hope these laws are put into place.”
50. Luke Nelson: “Leviticus 19:18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.” One of the many reasons to show love to our neighbors and ensure they have equal rights to a safe and happy home.”
51. Casey S. “I want to know that while I’m renting and not settled down, I have rights that protect me.”
52. Amanda N. “If I need something repaired and my landlord isn’t fixing it fast enough, I need options that put me first.”
53. Brittany B. “These kind of laws would make me feel more secure in the renting process.”
54. Tabitha B. “Having tenant laws would make me feel safer.”
55. Alec N. “Homeowners, tenants. Guess What? There both human beings who deserve rights.”
56. Prerana: “I support tenant rights because in order for an individual to be healthy they need to have all of their basic needs. Facing a difficult housing situation puts a lot of stress on an individual. Additional tenant rights will help eliminate some of the worries.”
57. Tanner: ” I support tenant rights because as someone who moved to a new city without any previous rental experience, I know how intimidating finding a decent place to live can be. When you are already worried about relocating, the last thing you want to think about is being taken advantage of by a landlord.”
58. Anni: There are Landlord Rights; conversely, there should be Tenant Rights to protect renters. One shouldn’t feel oppressed in their own homes.
59. John S: “My philosophy has always been “Justice is Fairness” and the tenant bill of provides creates fairness between landlords and renters. Many thumbs up from me.”
60. Russ R: I support the Tenants Bill of Rights because it’s the just the right thing to do. Everyone should have access to safe, affordable housing.
61. Deb: I support Tenant Bill of Rights because some things just seem right. These ideas just seem right!”
62. Steve P: “Young adults are taken advantage of every day because they are often unaware of their rights as renters. They are also often unaware of how to enforce those rights. As leaders in the community, we are obligated to provide a service to these people. While it is impractical for a majority of us to provide this service personally, we can do our part by supporting those who do choose to help renters. Support renters’ rights by supporting those who promote and enforce those rights.”
63. Darielle D: “Tenant rights are important because everyone deserves a safe home.”
64. Mark B: ”In this day and age especially not only with the way the economy is right now but in general, it is important to have renter’s rights for people who rent apartments and town houses, in order to avoid discrimination, wrongful evictions and to protect against theft and bodily harm.”
65. Danielle C: “When I was looking for an apartment I researched reviews for many of the local rental companies. I was shocked by how many problems tenants have had when dealing with their landlords. It’s just not fair.”
66. Abe C: …even though I have a great landlord right now, that might not always be the case and I want to know that I’m protected if anything happens.
67. Abe W: ….All of my friends rent! And I support my friends!
68. Allison: “even if I stop renting I will always know people who are affected by renters issues.”
69. Chris C… “when a tenant and a landlord sign a lease, they should both know what they’re getting into and the laws should enforce that.”
70. Andrew C: ….I’ve lost a lot of money in unreturned security deposits. If i’d known my rights i might have saved some money.
71. Andy E: ….When you’re moving around a lot you have a lot of landlords, and some don’t care about their tenants.
72. Joe C: “Just because I don’t own a home doesn’t mean I should be treated unfairly.”
73. Anna H… It’s nice to know that if something happened to me or my building I can know that I have the right to take action if my landlord won’t.
74. Ashley M…: it’s not enough to just have a roof over your head. We deserve to live in well maintained apartments.
75. Brian F: “We need tenant’s rights to assist people during hardships.”
76. Betsy F.: “I support tenant’s rights because I had to move out of my rental home due to a broken furnace in the freezing cold and endure the costs of living in a motel…with 2 kids!”
77. Becky B: “I support tenant’s rights because it’s too easy for them to be taken advantage of under the current system.”
78. Aubry W: …a tenant should not be trapped in a bad rental situation if their landlord is not taking the time to maintain it.
79. Lineka N: “I support tenant’s rights because I have a son who will one day be renting.”
80. Nathan K: “It’s hard enough finding a place I can afford to live, I don’t want to have to worry the landlord won’t follow his side of the lease”
81. Olga: “I’m a busy student, I don’t have time to deal with a crappy landlord.”
82. Dale: “I’m a student with a really limited budget. I can’t afford huge security deposits”
83. Michelle: “Around the U there are only a handful of different rental companies. Because they know students need/want to live close the campus, the landlords are able to charge outrageous amounts for rent and security deposits. We need to be able to come together to organize against these practices.”
84. Kim T: “Minnesota tenants are not being offered basic rights related to housing”.
85. Marge N: …my grandmother still rents and I don’t think she should have to worry about getting kicked out or taken advantage of.
86. Jennifer C: “Tenant/landlord roles need to be clarified. Even in cities where a heat code exists, half the time landlords aren’t aware of the laws. Things like access to heat and water shouldn’t be a privilege and tenants shouldn’t have to be constantly fighting for basic needs.”
87. Travis: “it’s intimidating complaining to your landlord about something like turning on the heat when you know he or she has the ability to persuade all future landlords from renting to you. I don’t want to be seen as stirring up trouble. More rights would make life so much easier”
88. Hannah C…” there are problems i don’t even know about that could potentially affect me. the tenants bill of rights is one way i can make sure that I am protected and know what my rights are.”
89. Jenny A: “everyone deserves safe, decent, affordable housing.”
90. Molly M: “Landlords have too much power; more renters’ rights will help balance the power dynamic.”
91. Dan C: “having a warm home in the cold winter is not too much to ask.”
92. Bobby K: ”It seems like a no-brainer! Why wouldn’t I support renters’ rights?”
93. Tina RJ: “It’s good to have tenant laws that promote the well-being of individuals.”
94. Valerie L: “I’m kind of shocked these things are already law.”
95. Aili S: “if you check out apartment reviews online, you will read one story after another about poor landlord practices.”
96. Dan B: …Minnesota needs to update their renters’ rights laws. I’ve dealt with issues here that I never would have had to worry about in other states.
97. Dustin R: “renters aren’t just a monthly check, but a real person with real needs.”
98. Jennifer B: “my last landlord didn’t care about the temp in my house so it was always cold.”
99. Ryan W: “I spent a few months without heat because I just didn’t know what to do. This shouldn’t happen to anyone else.”
100. Becky L: “I’m a new renter, and I don’t want to get taken advantage of.”
101. Carleen: “we need more money for affordable housing.”
102. Brandon B: “Having a statewide heat code would be awesome! Although I own my own home now, I remember sitting in a freezing apartment in St. Cloud and not knowing what to do.”
103. James Rodriguez: “Everybody has the right to a safe, healthy and affordable home.”
104. Karen K: “I had to become proactive and find resources that would help me thru difficult times while dealing with a landlord. When I became proactive about work requests and repairs not being completed by management and I went to outside for assistance the landlord retaliated against me by asking me to move out.”
105. Ed L: I believe that everyone should have safe, affordable and comfortable housing.
106. Lisa M: “Renter rights are important to renters and non-renters alike. They allow renters to feel secure and assured that they have a place to come back to, and non-renters to know that their neighbors and friends are safe and secure.”
107. Pattye: “tenants need further protection than current law affords them, so I wholeheartedly support this “Tenant Bill of Rights”.
108. Daniela K: “I support the Tenant Bill of Rights because the right of living in a safe and in good condition home is an essential human right.”
109. SPACH Ericka & Elaine: “We are tenants, and we want to make sure our rights are upheld.
110. Mike C: “It’s the right thing to do.”
111. Laura M: “legal rights are always worth fighting for.”
112. Shiva: “Rent is completely unaffordable around campus. We need to do something about it.”
113. Jane K: “homeowners receive a larger housing subsidy than renters; I believe tenants need the help.”
114. Jessica M: “it promotes fair treatment of the families I work with.”
115. Sarah B: “you can’t stand up for your rights if you don’t know what they are.”
116. Geoff M: “it just makes sense.”
117. Rebecca S: “everyone deserves housing.”
118. Shelley: “people have the right to good housing opportunities.”
119. Sara A: “my brother almost died when his heat was turned off during feb from his landlord!”
120. Jessica R: “I work with people who rent.”
121. Krystal W: “I work directly with clients in danger of becoming homeless. I feel they all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity from their landlords.”
122. Katie: “the tenants’ voice is important.”
{ 1 trackback }