The City of Austin’s Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department (NHCD) is proposing a revised set of tenant protection provisions to leases for affordable housing that have received City support.

The proposed provisions expand and consolidate many existing protections in the Rental Housing Development Assistance lease the City requires and are intended to protect both property owners and tenants. 

Residents can view the draft RHDA Lease Addendum for specific details on provisions, which are divided into the following categories:

• civil due process and redress in disputes with landlords; 
• restrictions on how and why a lease can be terminated;
• limits late fees to no more than 5 percent of the rent;
• rights to privacy regarding entry into a unit;
• liability for cost of repairs to a unit;
• relocation assistance for tenants required to vacate the unit due to repair, sale, or renovation;
• requirements for tenant agreement to provide owner with requested information; and,
• tenant’s rights related to participating in tenant organizations.

James May, Community Development Manager for NHCD, said that by consulting with a number of local developers and tenant-rights organization BASTA to clarify the lease terms, the city is better able to ensure transparency and compliance for both owner and tenant.

“A lease agreement is a binding contract, with terms and conditions that can be complicated for those unfamiliar with them,” May said. “Any way the City can help facilitate that understanding is a win for everyone involved.”

A 30-day comment period has been set up to get public input about the revisions.  Written Comments are accepted until 5 pm Monday, May 15, 2020. Please include a name, address, and phone number.

Mail:
Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department
P.O. Box 1088
Austin, Texas 78767

Email: NHCD@austintexas.gov

For additional information, call the NHCD Office at 512-974-3100 (voice).