Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), the ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Financial Services, joined Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) in introducing the “Know Who Owns Your Home Act” (H.R. 10465) in the House on December 18. If enacted, the legislation would provide important information and data about the ownership and conditions of rental properties to increase transparency, help consumers make informed choices, and facilitate accountability for property conditions. NLIHC has endorsed the bill.
Despite renters comprising 35% of U.S. households, there remains a lack of comprehensive and updated data on the conditions and ownership status of rental properties. The bill would direct HUD to conduct a survey to evaluate the feasibility and cost of establishing a national residential rental registry, the necessary data to include, any privacy concerns that would affect the accessibility of the registry for people with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency, and proposals for education and outreach methods to engage landlords.
“Today, the United States has more renters than ever in recent history,” said Ranking Member Waters in a statement. “In my district in Los Angeles County, over half of all households are renters. As affordable housing supply remains out of reach and rental prices continue to rise, now is the time to ensure there is market transparency and accountability to help renters thrive across urban, suburban, and rural America. Just as homeowners can contact their servicers and lenders when they face issues with their mortgage, the ‘Know Who Owns Your Home Act’ will direct HUD to explore the cost and feasibility of establishing a national rental registry.”
“There is an enormous power imbalance between landlords and renters, which tilts heavily in favor of landlords at renters’ expense,” stated NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel in a press release about the bill. “This power imbalance is exacerbated when landlords hide behind complicated ownership structures and when renters cannot access basic information about the homes they live in. The ‘Know Who Owns Your Home Act’ will ensure greater transparency and allow renters and policymakers to hold landlords accountable. I thank Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and Chairwoman Maxine Waters for their work on this bill and urge Congress to bring this legislation to a Floor vote, along with other critical renter protections included in the National Tenants Bill of Rights.”
Read the press release, Ranking Member Waters’s statement, and a full list of endorsers at: https://tinyurl.com/yuc3fwbu
Read the full bill text at: https://tinyurl.com/4wm5um76