Down but not out, the Montgomery County Renters Alliance and other activists vow to continue fighting for a Good Cause Eviction law that would require a landlord to have a legitimate reason before evicting a tenant.
For at least 10 years, a movement to get this bill passed in the Maryland General Assembly has faltered. Landlords and developers have strongly lobbied against it, saying it would make them less likely to invest in new housing.
But Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink calls that a false argument. She says the need for housing is a strong impetus in providing more rental properties.
Without good cause eviction, tenant leases may not be renewed even if the renter has paid rent on time for years and did nothing to harm the apartment.
When no action is taken by a landlord to fix a problem or rid the complex of bugs and rodents, tenants may turn to the county code enforcement department or councilmembers for assistance, according to Mink.
“Then all of a sudden their lease is not being renewed,” she said. When people who complain to the county, are active in a tenant association or reach out to the press, “It puts them at risk.”
While Mink is “certainly not happy” that a Good Cause Eviction law did not pass once again, she is optimistic more and more people are becoming aware of the need.
She pointed to a letter she spearheaded to the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. It garnered almost 50 signatures from legislators in Baltimore City, Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. The letter urged state senators not to approve the Senate version of the bill.
That version included amendments that would create a local preemption. “Counties and municipalities need the opportunity to have these conversations with constituents in the context of our local housing regulations and markets. Rushed, broad-strokes preemptions will stand in the way of good governance and strong policy,” it states in Mink’s letter.
Matt Losak, executive director of Montgomery County Renters Alliance, said he has been fighting for Good Cause Eviction since he formed the alliance in 2010.
He said of the proposed bill, “It was and is the most important piece of legislation in the state of Maryland” aside from the budget. “It affects hundreds of thousands of people.”
“We were the first one to come along” and give renters a voice, Losak said. “We started to create an awareness between policy makers and renters.”
Some landlords believe renters are mere guests in a landlords’ home, Losak said. He was disappointed but is ready to start the fight anew. Remember, he told MCM, “Civil rights took many decades.”
When Losak formed the alliance, about 23% of county residents were renters. Now, “It’s nearly 40%,” he said, noting the county has become more urban.
Progressive Maryland actively worked for the passage of Good Cause Eviction.
“Amid a growing housing crisis and a looming recession, the Maryland Senate refused to pass Good Cause Eviction – the one housing bill pending that has been proven in other jurisdictions to reduce evictions and displacement while holding corporate landlords accountable,” the organization wrote in a news release.
One apartment complex that has evicted residents recently is the Enclave in Silver Spring.
“It didn’t make sense to force us to choose between rent stabilization and good cause eviction. Renters need both,” said Tonia Chestnut, President of the Enclave Tenant Association. “But instead of standing with tenants, the Senate gave even more power to the same landlords who’ve already taken advantage of us. That choice will have real consequences for all Maryland families.”
