News

Rent Control: Graham Thanks Tenant Groups for Support

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Alan Heymann
(202) 724-8031

February 24, 2006

Washington, DC – Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward One) wishes to express his thanks to a coalition of tenant activists for voting to support his proposal to thank rent control.

“For rent control to be truly meaningful, it needs to hold down the rent,“ said Councilmember Graham. “We have our first opportunity to do this in more than 20 years. I’m glad the tenant groups are behind this proposal as we move it through the Council.”

The group, convened by the Tenant Advocacy Coalition (TENAC), represents thousands of tenants in rental buildings across the District of Columbia. The endorsement was nearly unanimous.

The Graham proposal, B16-457, would limit rent increases to once a year, and would finally place a cap on how much rents can be increased in rent-controlled buildings. It would also abolish the ability of landlords to take vacant apartments with affordable rent and convert them into luxury apartments with market-rate rents. Twelve of 13 councilmembers joined Councilmember Graham in co-introducing or co-sponsoring B16-457 last October.

The tenant activists also endorsed four additional bills:

• B16-048 would require landlords to show how rent ceilings were calculated whenever asked by a current or potential tenant.
• B16-051 would allow tenants to challenge improper rent increases back to 1985, rather than for just the past three years, and to collect damages for improper rent increases for the past three years.
• B16-109 would give tenants information they need to know before signing a lease, including the rent ceiling amount, all rent control rules and notice of any reported housing code violations.
• B16-458 would further protect tenants’ rights to organize by guaranteeing tenants and tenant organizers use of public space and facilities and establishing stricter penalties on landlords who retaliate against tenants.

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