Eviction Legislation Could Make it Harder For Dallas Renters to Stay in Their Homes
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As rents increase and Dallas experiences challenges with homelessness and a lack of affordable housing stock, life could become even more difficult for those on a fixed income trying to stay in an apartment.
Senate Bill 986/House Bill 2045, introduced by Republicans Shelby Slawson of Stephenville and Brandon Creighton of Conroe would override a Dallas ordinance that allows renters more time to make rent before being evicted.
The legislation bans cities or counties from enforcing measures that prohibit, restrict, or delay delivery of a notice to vacate or the filing of an eviction lawsuit.
It’s backed by the Texas Apartment Association, but not supported by tenants’ rights and anti-poverty advocates, such as Mark Melton of the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center.
Proponents say the legislation is necessary to avoid a “patchwork” of eviction rules that would challenge landlords with properties across multiple cities and Justice of the Peace courts that hear eviction cases, according to an in-depth report compiled by Christopher Connelly of KERA News.
David Mintz of the Texas Apartment Association has said it’s important to have consistent regulations across the state.
Melton says more than 40,000 evictions will be filed in Dallas County this year.
“Those tenants need basic protections from unscrupulous landlords,” he wrote on social media with a link to the KERA story. “And there are plenty with no scruples.”
The bill is awaiting a hearing in the House Business and Industry Committee; it’s already passed the Texas Senate.
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This is disgusting! GOP IS LITERALLY ATTACKING LOW INCOME RENTERS! They refuse to put a rent cap on the landlords but instead attack the tenants more. Tenants barely have any rights even now! Rent is already too damn high!
This is not attacking renters. It is protecting owners who renters have not been paying. Owners still have to make their morgage payments on properties while renters sit back, refuse to pay and hope Dems will allow them to continue.
For those who believe that this bill is attacking “renters”, please consider. Most landlords work within the legal framework of evictions and will work with residents who are sincerely trying to pay their rent. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous “renters” out there who take advantage of these ordinances and simply don’t pay rent. The current City ordinance on eviction helps no one. It hamstrings landlords and harms the “renters” they think they are helping. What it really does is enable people to get so far behind in their rent that they will never catch up. Then, – THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO LEASE AN APARTMENT AGAIN from any reputable apartment community because they have demonstrated they are not credit worthy. The estimated 40,000 evictions in the article represents hundreds of thousands of dollars of lost income to the owners of properties throughout Dallas. Apartment communities are not charitable organizations – they pay property taxes; they pay employees and provide much needed housing for hundreds of thousands of hardworking people. Misguided ordinances that prevent landlords from running their businesses efficiently helps no one.