The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is considering nationwide standards for tenants rights to rental properties with federally backed mortgages. The LOFTE Network, 20 locally based areawide nonprofit tenant organizing groups across the country has weighed in with 7 recommendations which are:

1. Extend and enforce a federally guaranteed right to organize based on 24 CFR Part 245, Subpart B which covers multifamily housing.
2. Outlaw discrimination based on source of income as many landlords refuse to rent to low-income tenants and few jurisdictions have law prohibiting discrimination.
3. Provide just cause for eviction as many tenants live in fear of being evicted.
4. Prohibit rent gauging and only allow reasonable rent increased to provide stability to tenants.
5. Require the strongest state/local tenants rights protections nationwide as different states have different laws and there should be nationwide standards.
6. Adopt uniform standards for decent safe and sanitary housing using the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate as a reference.
7. Provide tenants with access to information like tenants’ rights and information about important changes in the building so tenants can better partner with owners.

You can read the full recommendations here. It is the hope that the combined experience within the LOFTE Network with be noticed and these recommendations will be taken into serious consideration.