The current bill says that a landlord can move to evict a tenant or end their lease only under certain situations – such as non-payment of rent, if the tenant causes significant damage to the home, if the landlord intends to rent to a family member, if the landlord intends to make significant renovations to an empty unit (full listhere). In those cases, the landlord is still required to provide notice to the tenant and follow the legal court process. However, these protections only apply to tenants in leases less than a year. (More on your protections as a tenant,here.)
The Philadelphia Rent Control Coalition, of which CLS is a member, is fighting to strengthen the existing good cause bill. The Coalition wants to see the bill amended to apply to all tenants (not just tenants with leases less than a year), to give better notice to tenants, and to require landlords to pay relocation fees to tenants.
A strong good cause bill is necessary as we fight also for rent control, as the two policies work together. With good cause and no rent control, a landlord can still raise the rent to kick a tenant out. With rent control and no good cause, a landlord can evict a tenant for baseless reasons and then hike up the rent for the next tenant.
Want to get involved?
- Sign the Coalition’s petition:here
- Email the coalition at:rentcontrolphilly@gmail.com
