Senate committee advances bill letting tenants end fixed-term leases early after landlord notice

The Senate Committee on Housing and Development voted to send House Bill 2134A to the Senate floor with a "do pass" recommendation after a brief work session on Aug. 30.

Committee staff summarized the bill as allowing "a tenant in a fixed term tenancy to terminate their rental agreement early if their landlord has already given them the required 90 day notice that the tenancy will not continue past the fixed term provided they, the tenant provide at least 30 days written notice to the landlord," and as prohibiting landlords from collecting fees or unpaid rent that accrue after the tenant-designated termination date once possession is returned, according to staff testimony.

The measure applies to fixed-term rental agreements entered into on or after the bill's effective date and was described by staff as having minimal fiscal impact and no revenue impact.

Committee action and vote: Senator Jeff Am moved the bill to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. The clerk called the roll; Senators Rodman, Nash and Patterson, Vice Chair Anderson and Chair Pham recorded "Aye." The committee announced the motion passes.

Why it matters: If enacted, HB 2134A would create a statutory process for tenants subject to a landlord's advance nonrenewal notice to leave before the fixed term ends without facing post-termination rent or fee liability for the period after the tenant's effective return of possession. Supporters argued it clarifies options for tenants who face nonrenewal; no fiscal or revenue impacts were identified by committee staff.

What the committee did not decide: The committee did not take additional testimony or amend the bill during the work session and did not set an enactment date. The committee recorded only the roll-call approvals listed above.

Ending: The committee closed the HB 2134A work session and moved on to the next agenda item.