Vote to increase
renters rights
Strive To Expand The Rights of Those Who Have None
vote to increase renters rights movement
Who we are
100,000 voters
What do we want?
To increase RENTER RIGHTS
When do we want it?
now
What do renters want exactly?
- Unrestricted Right to Vote: Protect the unrestricted right to vote for all U.S. citizens, including those with criminal records, and enable voting by mail.
- Unrestricted Right to Organize: Safeguard the right of individuals to assemble, associate, and organize for any lawful purpose, including housing-related matters, within their premises without interference by landlords.
- Criminal and Court Record Protection: Prohibit housing discrimination based on previous criminal or court judgments once individuals have served their time or completed court requirements.
- Source of Income Protection: Prohibit discrimination against renters based on their participation in funding assistance programs like Section 8 vouchers.
- Limitation of Application Fees and Application Limits: Limit rental application requirements to proof of identity and ability to pay rent, preventing discrimination based on arbitrary criteria.
- Prohibit landlords from accepting payment to process more than one household application for a unit before they can accept payment from another household.
- Landlords must inform tenants who were not accepted during the application process, providing a detailed reason why they were not accepted.
- Local government agencies should collaborate with landlords to identify free and low-cost methods for conducting background checks on tenants for application purposes.
- Landlords should be restricted to an application fee that is necessary to process the application and should not exceed $50 per household.
- Tenant Files and Language Accessibility: Establish provisions requiring landlords to provide any related rental documents within 3 business days upon request. Local government agencies will support landlords in obtaining related rental documents in a language understandable to the tenant.
- Proactive Monitoring of Multi-Family Buildings: Establish a registry of multi-family buildings, require owner and property management contact information, and provide avenues for reporting abuses and seeking protections against retaliation.
- Enforcement of Code Violations and Court Judgments: Allocate resources to enforce fines, fees, and tax liens against non-compliant landlords, seek foreclosure, and support rehousing of tenants.
- Mandatory Emergency Response: Require landlords to respond to emergency situations within 24 hours and ensure temporary relocation until repairs are completed, without additional cost to the tenant.
- Anti-Harassment Protections for Tenants: Establish provisions that prohibit landlords from engaging in harassment, including retaliatory actions, threats, interference with tenant rights, or removal of personal property. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Cutting off or refusing services agreed upon in the lease
- Failing to perform repairs or maintenance required by the lease or State, County, or local housing, health, and safety laws
- Refusing to cash a rent check for over 30 days
- Restrict Landlord Access and Surveillance: Restrict landlord access to rental units and limit the use of surveillance technology within tenant units and areas of presumed privacy.
- Just Cause Evictions: Enact legislation that requires landlords to provide just cause, such as lease violations or non-payment of rent, for evicting tenants, providing greater protection against arbitrary evictions.
- Prohibit Eviction of Domestic Violence Victims: Prohibit the eviction of tenants who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
- Guaranteed Right to Counsel in Civil Cases: Provide tenants with the right to legal counsel in civil cases involving landlords.
- Freezing of Residential Property Tax Values: Support legislation to freeze property tax values to provide stability for landlords and help stabilize rent prices.
- House Before Demo Code Enforcement: Prohibit the removal of residents or demolition of properties without ensuring adequate rehousing options for owners and tenants.
- Tenant Right of First Refusal: Grant tenants the right of first refusal to purchase their rental units, including manufactured housing properties.
WHY DO WE FEEL THIS IS IMPORTANT
The Renter REVOLUTION represents a significant and transformative movement for renters’ rights. It is a collective effort to challenge the status quo, address the systemic issues that renters face, and advocate for change at a larger scale.
Historically, renters have been marginalized and their voices often overlooked in policy discussions. The Renter REVOLUTION aims to change that by mobilizing a large number of renters and empowering them to participate actively in the democratic process through voter registration and engagement.
100,000 renter voters in Bexar County, working together, will be a powerful force that can influence policy decisions and advocate for stronger protections and rights for renters. This movement seeks to address issues such as affordable housing, tenant rights, eviction prevention, and equitable housing policies.
The REVOLUTION signifies a departure from the current norms and a demand for fundamental change in the housing landscape. It is about reshaping the power dynamics, amplifying renters’ voices, and working towards a more just and inclusive housing system.
Together, we can bring about a CHANGE in how renters are heard, represented, and protected. By standing united, we have the power to make a lasting impact and ensure that every renter has access to safe, affordable, and dignified housing
hOMEOWNERS
Supporting renters’ rights as a homeowner aligns with your interests because a fair and just housing system benefits our entire community. By championing renters’ rights, we create a balanced and equitable housing landscape with safe and affordable homes for all. This improves well-being, strengthens neighborhoods. Supporting renters’ rights is about promoting fairness, addressing systemic issues, and ensuring that nobody’s rights are infringed upon. If you’re unsure about the significance of this movement, learn more about renters’ challenges, the impact of stable housing, and the benefits of inclusivity. Join us in the Renter REVOLUTION for a future where housing is a right, not a privilege, and where everyone can thrive.
partners
We are seeking partner organizations to join the “Vote for Renters’ Rights Movement.”
To become a partner, we kindly request that you fulfill the following requirements, which will contribute to our collective progress:
1. Ensure that every member of your organization is registered to vote if they wish to do so and on election day support those that need help with transportation to the polls.
2. Allow partner organizations the opportunity to register people to vote at any public event where you are participating.
3. Publicly endorse and actively support the renters’ rights policies advocated by the movement.
4. Keep our partners updated on the number of people your organization has successfully registered to vote. Additionally, share a non-public list of names and addresses of registered voters to facilitate mapping efforts.
5. Provide a letter of support on your organization’s official letterhead, affirming your endorsement of the renters’ rights policies.
By fulfilling these requirements, you will actively contribute to the progress and success of the “Vote for Renters’ Rights Movement.” We appreciate your dedication and commitment to promoting equitable housing rights for all.
Time for action
Support the end of discrimination of veterans!
support ENDING HOMELESSNESS FOR OUR VETERANS!
or you can send it to your representative.
San antonio contact
Title
Mayor
Councilmember District 1
Councilmember District 2
Councilmember District 3
Councilmember District 4
Councilmember District 5
Councilmember District 6
Councilmember District 7
Councilmember District 8
Councilmember District 9
Councilmember District 10
Name
Ron Nirenberg
Sukh Kaur
Jalen McKee-Rodriguez
phyllis.viagran
Adriana Rocha Garcia
Teri Castillo
Melissa Cabello Havrda
Marina Alderete Gavito
Manny Pelaez
John Courage
Marc Whyte
Ron.Nirenberg@sanantonio.gov;
sukh.kaur@sanantonio.gov
Jalen.McKeeRodriguez@sanantonio.gov
phyllis.viagran@sanantonio.gov
Adrianarocha.garcia@sanantonio.gov
Teri.Castillo@sanantonio.gov
Melissacabello.havrda@sanantonio.gov
marina.gavito@sanantonio.gov
Manny.Pelaez@sanantonio.gov
John.Courage@sanantonio.gov
info@marcwhyte.com
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Although we host this page, these policy examples are a product of collaboration from various Housing Advocates that have come together to create needed policy that does NOT currently exist in the state of Texas.
Some of these policies may be present in certain Texan cities but not throughout.
However, we have chosen to host them all here to aid those that seek to establish them in their city.
The policies on this page belong to those who are willing to fight for their home.
If you have any question or additions
email: texashousingadvocate@gmail.com