AUSTIN, Texas — On Nov. 7, the right-to-cure ordinance will take effect in Austin.
The right to cure requires landlords to give tenants a seven-day notice before an eviction notice.
"There are many Austinites who live paycheck to paycheck," said District 2 Austin City Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes. "When you have an unexpected emergency or a medical situation pop up, it can be really hard to make that month's rent."
Fuentes is happy that the council adopted the renters' rights agenda, which also includes the right to organize without retaliation. City leaders report that more than half of the people who live in Austin are renters.
"That is critical because at this point in Texas, you can get a notice of eviction and within 24 hours you would have to find another place to live," said Fuentes.
Along with the eviction warning, landlords now have to give a tenants' rights notice, which explains the process and free resources available, like legal counseling.
"Let's try and find some better resources," said the head of the Austin Apartment Association Lyndsay Hanes.
Hanes said the pandemic proved that giving tenants more time to pay rent didn't help, but financial assistance did.
"There are some resources still out there but for the most part, the rental housing assistance is it has reduced drastically," said Hanes.
Fuentes said both resources are necessary.
"Really, it's not an either-or situation, it's both," said Fuentes.
Just like renters, Hanes said landlords are struggling too, due to higher property taxes, interest rates and insurance rates.
"$0.90 of every dollar of rent goes to those expenses, just the basic operating expenses," said Hanes. "So I've only got about $0.10 out of every dollar to work with people. That's $0.10 profit."
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