Tenants and advocates press Detroit council for 'right to renew' lease ordinance with good-cause protections

Dozens of public commentators used the council—s general public comment period on Feb. 18 to urge the City Council to adopt a "right to renew" ordinance that would require landlords to offer lease renewals except for good cause and to limit no-cause evictions.

"We strongly support the ordinance before you protecting the rights of tenants to have their leases renewed," said Stephen Hanshew, speaking for the National Federation of the Blind and the Hemelho Tenants Council. Several speakers explicitly credited the Detroit Tenants Association (DTA) for drafting a version of the ordinance and said the city should adopt the DTA—s language with good-cause protections.

Eva Rimmer of the Detroit Tenants Association described repeated operations that put tenants at risk and said the group—s draft would require landlords to offer renewals unless they have a legal reason not to. "A right to a new ordinance will require landlords to offer lease renewal to tenants unless there's good reason not to," Rimmer said.

Other speakers described building conditions and unsafe living situations in properties managed by corporate landlords and called for stronger tenant protections generally, including right to counsel, rent stabilization and penalties for repeat code violators. Tenants described problems ranging from broken windows, nonworking elevators and poor heat to alleged harassment and pressure to vacate.

Council members responded during the meeting that the law department had been working on a legal draft. Council President Mary Sheffield and other members said they had been in communication with tenant groups and with council offices that had previously worked on draft language. "We originally were working with member Young's office and hopefully we can still collaborate with member Young as well on the ordinance, but it has been requested and assigned to the law department and we are currently waiting on a draft that we can start to discuss with the organization," Sheffield said during public comment acknowledgements.

Speakers who backed the ordinance included representatives and members of Detroit Tenants Association, Detroit People's Platform, Detroit Tenant Union, National Federation of the Blind, and individual tenants who described harassment, threats of eviction and dangerous building conditions. Some asked council to pair right-to-renew with other tenant protections such as relocation assistance, right to counsel and code-enforcement penalties for repeat offenders.

Ending: The council did not take a vote on a right-to-renew ordinance at the Feb. 18 session. Council members said a draft is under review by the law department and that they intend to continue discussions with tenant advocates before scheduling legislative action.