Plain English Breakdown
The official source confirms the existence of a civil right of action but does not specify what remedies are available or how tenants would sue.
HB876: Tenant Repair and Rent Offset Rights
This bill gives residential tenants the right to fix certain problems required of landlords, deduct repair costs from rent payments under specific conditions, end leases in some cases, and protects them from landlord retaliation.
What This Bill Does
- Allows tenants to complete repairs that are legally required of the landlord when needed.
- Permits tenants to subtract reasonable repair costs from future rent payments under certain circumstances.
- Gives tenants the right to cancel their rental agreement under specific conditions.
- Prohibits landlords from taking negative actions against tenants who use these rights.
Who It Names or Affects
- Residential tenants
- Landlords of residential properties
Terms To Know
- Offset rental installments
- Subtracting the cost of repairs from rent payments owed to the landlord.
- Adverse action
- Negative steps a landlord might take against a tenant, such as raising rent or evicting them in response to their actions.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill only applies under certain circumstances that are not fully detailed in the summary.
- The specific definition of 'reasonable cost' for repairs is not explained in this text.
- The effective date when these rules begin to apply has not been set yet.