Sec. 2. Obligations of landlords
436 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/hr/5072/ih/section-2·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
A covered landlord— may not, when a residential lease expires, increase monthly rent by an amount greater than the percentage increase, if any, over the preceding 12 months in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers or 3 percent of the average monthly amount paid for the same unit for each month that the unit was occupied during the previous 12-month period, whichever is greater; may not initiate eviction proceedings or threaten a tenant with eviction, except in the case that— the tenant has failed to pay rent for 2 or more consecutive months, caused substantial destruction to the rental property, or violated an explicit lease term; or the landlord seeks to occupy the unit, or seeks the availability of the unit for occupancy by an immediate relative; and shall maintain each rental unit in good repair (as defined under applicable State and local codes).
A tenant may file a civil action in the appropriate district court of the United States against a covered landlord who violates subsection (a). Any lease provision that waives the right of a tenant to file a civil action under this subsection is void. The attorney general of the State may file a civil action in the appropriate district court of the United States on behalf of a resident of the State whose covered landlord violated subsection
(a)to— enjoin further violations; obtain damages on behalf of such resident in an amount that does not exceed ten times the sum of the monthly rent amounts specified on the most recent lease agreement for each such resident; and in the case of a covered landlord against whom a court has ruled in 2 or more civil actions under this subsection, obtain additional punitive damages in an amount not to exceed three times the amount of actual damages suffered by resident. In any civil action under this subsection, the court shall consider, for purposes of awarding damages, a covered landlord’s good faith effort or attempt to comply with the subsection (a). Nothing in this section shall prevent a State or local government from imposing lower limits on rent increases or additional obligations on landlords. In this section: The term covered landlord means entity that owns or holds a controlling interest in more than 5 residential properties or more than 2 manufactured housing parks. The term rent includes any payment made by a tenant to a landlord, with respect to which the failure to pay may authorize the landlord to initiate eviction proceedings, except that such term does not include any utility which is paid by the landlord on behalf of the tenant.