5731747 Public Hearing on B21-0420, the Residential Lease Amendment Act of 2015 and B21-0443, the Condominium Owner Bill of Rights Amendment Act of 2015

                                                                                               

 

Councilmember Anita Bonds, Chairperson
Committee on Housing and Community Development

Announces a Public Hearing of the Committee on

B21-0420, the Residential Lease Amendment Act of 2015

and

B21-0443, the Condominium Owner Bill of Rights Amendment Act of 2015

 

on Monday, December 7, 2015, at 11:00 am

John A. Wilson Building, Room 120

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

 

Councilmember Anita Bonds, Chairperson of the Committee on Housing and Community Development, will hold a public hearing on B21-0420, the Residential Lease Amendment Act of 2015 and B21-0443, the Condominium Owner Bill of Rights Amendment Act of 2015. The public hearing will be held on Monday, December 7, 2015, at 11:00 am, in room 120 of the John A. Wilson Building.

 

The purpose of B21-0420 is to prohibit housing providers from requiring tenants to pay fees in excess of the maximum allowable rent for services or usage of facilities; prohibit housing providers from selling a unit within 12 months after recovering possession under certain provisions of law without offering tenants an opportunity to purchase the unit; to require housing providers to mitigate damages after a tenant breaches a lease or wrongly fails to take possession; to prohibit housing providers from unreasonably withholding consent if a tenant desires to sublet or assign their lease as required by a provision in their lease; to void some notice provisions in commercial and private leases; to prohibit housing providers from entering a tenant’s unit without first receiving permission or entering at unreasonable times or for unreasonable purposes; to require housing provides to provide notice contained in a capital improvement rent adjustment notification addendum before initiating a capital improvement rent adjustment; and to list penalties for violations of the provisions of the act.

 

The purpose of B21-0443 is to require mediation before a unit owners’ association may foreclose on a unit for the recovery of condominium assessments, fees, charges, or other penalties owed by a unit owner. The bill also strengthens the ethical and fiduciary obligations of executive boards of unit owners’ associations, establishes a Condominium Association Advisory Council, establishes a Condominium Association Bill of Rights, and requires that the Bill of Rights, along with a copy of the fiduciary responsibilities of members of the executive board of condominium associations, be furnished to purchasers of condominiums.

Those who wish to testify are requested to telephone the Committee on Housing and Community Development, at [phone], or email [e-mail], and provide their name, address, telephone number, organizational affiliation and title (if any), by close of business on December 4, 2015. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged to submit 15 copies of written testimony. Oral testimony should be limited to three minutes for individuals and five minutes for organizations.

 

If you are unable to testify at the public hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Written statements should be submitted to the Committee on Housing and Community Development, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 112, Washington, D.C. 20004. The record will close at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 21, 2015.