AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin City Council will vote on two resolutions aiming to strengthen tenants' rights beyond the COVID-19 pandemic at its upcoming meeting.
The resolutions direct the city manager to make plans that strengthen renters' rights with the goal of helping those at risk of being evicted from being forced from their homes.
One resolution, Item 39, on the Council's Feb. 3 agenda, directs the city manager to prepare a code amendment that establishes rights for renters for the Council to consider by late July, including tenants' rights to organize. The proposed ordinance would be investigated and enforced by the City's Civil Rights Office, according to the draft resolution.
Item 40, the second resolution to strengthen tenants' rights, calls for landlords to provide a notice of proposed eviction to tenants before providing them a notice to vacate, in an effort to allow the renter enough time to prevent being evicted. The proposed notice would be given seven days before a notice to vacate and tenants would be allowed to respond and remedy the cause for eviction, according to the draft resolution.
This item also calls for a provision that requires a longer period for tenants to respond in instances where the City is under certain kinds of disaster declarations.
The additional protections for Austin tenants come as the City enacted and extended an eviction moratorium in the city. It was first put in place in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic and prevented landlords from issuing notices to vacate except in some instances.
Councilmembers Greg Casar, Vanessa Fuentes, Ann Kitchen and Kathie Tovo announced the new proposed protections on Tuesday at a press conference where they were joined by renters and advocates for tenants' rights.
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