Certain requirements for residential leases

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill prohibits a landlord from terminating or refusing to renew a residential tenancy without good cause, such as failure to pay rent or breach of the lease terms. The bill also prohibits a landlord from refusing to renew a residential tenancy unless the landlord provides the tenant with written notice of the refusal to renew, and the grounds for the refusal to renew, at least 60 days before the lease expires, except in periodic tenancies or cases in which the tenant has failed to pay rent. The bill also requires a landlord, when renewing a residential tenancy, to offer the tenant the opportunity to enter into a renewed lease for the same period as the tenant's expiring lease, unless there is good cause to offer a renewed lease for a shorter period.

Under current law, if a tenant under a lease for a period of less than one year stays in the premises (“holds over”) after the lease expires, the landlord can choose to hold the tenant on a month-to-month basis instead of evicting the tenant. Under the bill, if a residential tenant holds over after the tenant's lease expires, the landlord may still choose to hold the tenant on a month-to-month lease, but only if the landlord first offers the tenant the opportunity to enter into a renewed lease for the same period as the tenant's expired lease.

Who's behind it

15 lawmakers are its authors⁠. All 15 are Democrats.

4 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.