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New Haven is the First City in Connecticut to Recognize Tenant Unions Under Local Law
By: Camila Vallejo, from ctpublic.org
At least five tenant unions have formed in Connecticut in the last few years in hopes of demanding change. And now unions in New Haven are one step closer to doing just that, thanks to local government support.
New Haven’s Board of Alders voted unanimously to recognize tenant unions on Tuesday evening – making it the first municipality in the state to support unions under local law.
“I am really happy and excited for what this means for tenants in New Haven and
tenants across the state of Connecticut who are going to see what’s possible,” said Luka Melanokis-Harrison, an organizer with Connecticut Tenants Union, an organization that has been critical to the resurgence of unions in the state. The vote comes as New Haven identifies unions as a potential defense against retaliatory evictions at a time where the number of filings continue to be well above pre-pandemic numbers since March. While it’s unknown how many are considered retaliatory, the state saw an uptick of no-fault evictions during the pandemic.
What does this mean?
The new ordinance officially defines tenant unions in New Haven as an organization of tenants living in a complex of 10 or more units and that has been created with the support of the majority of tenants. Tenants living in an owner-occupied complex will not be recognized, according to the ordinance. While state law mentioned tenant unions, there is no definition in state or local law.
Beyond the definition, unions in New Haven will have a new role with the city’s Fair Rent Commission. The unions will be able to work alongside the commission on investigations of unfair rent increases, poor housing conditions — and more. While tenant unions members will still have to file individual complaints, members will be able to testify on each other’s behalf during investigations and support the process.
“So the tenants union amendment ordinance will help regulate and recognize tenants unions, and it's one of the first in the state of Connecticut. So we're very excited about it. And while the state statute has information and outlines tenants unions, it doesn't exactly explain how a fair rent commission will be accepting complaints from the tenants unions members,” said Wildaliz Bermudez, the executive director of New Haven’s Fair Rent Commission.
The ordinance states the commission will rely on tenant unions’ participation when reaching a decision and may also refer those findings on the specific complex to other city departments or commissions.
The commission evaluates 13 factors when investigating unfair rent rates – an increase from nine used statewide. The additional factors include damages done by reasons other than ordinary wear and tear, the amount and frequency of increases to rental charges and more.
The path towards progress
The ordinance was proposed this summer by Mayor Justin Elicker as the city saw an increase of tenant unions asking for support.
“Things only get done if you get involved, get your voice heard,” said Kay Pittman, a member of a tenant union at Quinnipiac Gardens in New Haven.
The union planted the seed for the ordinance last year when they presented the city their demands.
“There was no ramp or sort of avenue for tenants to engage collectively with any part of the city, even though everybody in the complex was dealing with the same issues and the same pattern of negligence and maltreatment from the landlord,” Melanokis -Harrison said.
He said the law is hopefully just a first step for what's to come as tenants fight to level the playing field.
Next, the city’s Fair Rent Commission will decide when unions can start to participate in mediation efforts with landlords.
Are CT Real Estate Prices Finally Coming Down? ‘There’s a lot of Wildcards Out There’
By: Alexander Soule, from ctinsider.com
The New Fairfield ranch was on the market at $375,000, and the buyer happened to be stateside while visiting from the United Kingdom. After two years of house-hunting, Marlyn D’Amico’s client liked what she saw in the Candlewood Lake town where her family had spent time in her youth, and put in a cash offer at the asking price to get the keys.
D’Amico, a Bethel-based agent with Re/ Max Right Choice Real Estate, says she is seeing evidence that housing prices in western Connecticut are starting to come back within reach of some who were unable to swing a deal in the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“She saw the market change right before her eyes, and she was getting a little bit more anxious to get something,” D’Amico said of the New Fairfield home buyer. “A lot of the buyers that are actively looking now have missed out on opportunities, ... because they just were not competitive. We’re seeing more typical, first-time home buyers finally getting their offers accepted because they’re not dealing as much with the hyper-demand that we had.” Just over 21,700 residential properties sold in the first six months of 2022 in Connecticut, according to a preliminary count published by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties. That was a 16 percent drop from the first six months of 2021 that represented the peak wave of relocations and secondary home purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the first six months of this year, the median-priced home in Connecticut sold for $375,000 — more than 200 sold at that price as tracked by Zillow including the New Fairfield ranch — which was about $25,000 more than the median property in 2021.
Pockets of Connecticut were able to improve on the 2021 spring market, however, including Hartford where transactions shot up 20 percent in the first six months of 2022 compared to the same period a year earlier; and New Haven where sales climbed 5 percent. Both cities’ real estate markets are dominated by rentals.
Most Fairfield County communities fell significantly off the torrid sales pace of 2021, though Stratford home sales were flat from the first half of last year, and Danbury saw just a 4 percent decline. Stamford led the state with nearly 780 transactions, down 18 percent from the first six months of 2021.
“I think it’s definitely a transitional quarter — there’s a lot of wildcards out there with the economy nationally and globally,” said Paul Breunich, CEO of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty based in Stamford. “A lot of people stepped out of the market when they lost three, four or five deals. There’s a whole potential demand pool out there, who got burned out.”
Breunich and brokers with other firms say New York City residents continue to show up at open houses — many with the cash to beat out competing offers. In the first six months of this year, Connecticut sellers got 3.1 percent more than their listing prices on average as reported by Berkshire Hathaway.
A Round Hill Road estate in Greenwich was the top sale of the first half at $17.7 million. That number would be eclipsed if Darien completes the proposed purchase of the privately owned Great Island for $100 million. That would rank as the second largest U.S. residential sale this year according to Real Estate Gurus, after Oracle CEO Larry Ellison’s deal to acquire a Palm Beach, Fla. property for $173 million.
By: Megan Bullock, from apartments.com
As a landlord or property manager, you can and should require a tenant to buy and maintain renters insurance in the lease. Although renters insurance isn't necessarily required (depending upon your state laws), it's a good idea to make it a requirement to rent your property. If you’re weighing this decision, be aware that adding a renters insurance requirement in the lease will benefit you as much as it will the tenant. Renters insurance is relatively inexpensive for tenants — often less than $20 per month. Many renters assume that a landlord’s insurance policy covers their personal property, which it does not.
Landlords should require renters insurance in the lease, because by doing so, you are protecting both you and your tenant(s). An extra layer of protection never hurts when it comes to owning and renting property. But because laws vary by state, be sure to speak with an attorney about adding a mandatory renters insurance policy to your lease. How much coverage you require from a renters insurance policy is up to you, but be sure to discuss this with your attorney as well. The benefits of renters insurance are as follows:
1. It mitigates the threat of a lawsuit
Renters insurance is extremely helpful when it comes to keeping you out of court. If the tenant doesn’t have rental insurance, and there’s an instance where damage occurs involving the renter’s belongings, there’s a chance that the tenant will try to claim that the landlord is responsible for said damage. Consider this scenario:
A tenant has friends over, and a guest is injured. The tenant does not have renters insurance, and the injured guest (or the hospital) files a claim against the landlord. Even if the landlord’s insurance company agrees to pay, higher premiums are sure to follow. If the tenant did however have renters insurance, it would take the landlord out of the scenario.
2. It reduces your responsibility
If there is a fire or other type of damage-causing incident in your rental, the tenant may feel that you are responsible for finding them a temporary place to stay. In some states, you are in fact responsible for this and must provide relocation benefits. However, tenants with renters insurance will not need this from you. Their renters insurance will handle this, and you will be free to deal with repairing your rental.
3. It will help you find responsible tenants
If an applicant claims that he/she can’t afford renters insurance, then there is a good chance that their income will not meet your requirements. If a potential tenant cannot pay for the monthly rate for renters insurance, you are risking renting to a tenant who cannot pay rent in full or on time. Many renters, whether they are required or not, purchase and maintain renters insurance for their own benefit. So if you come upon the situation where a tenant cannot afford that additional cost or does not care to purchase a renters insurance policy, it may be in your best interest to continue looking for another applicant. If a tenant damages the property, such as inadvertently causing a fire, your insurance policy may pay the repair costs. However, you will be left paying the deductible, which can be a substantial amount of money. If the tenant has renters insurance, the policy will likely cover your homeowner’s insurance deductible, easing the financial burden of this situation on your end.
5. It will give you peace of mind
Knowing that your tenants have renters insurance is one less thing you have to worry about as a landlord. You won’t have to face lawsuits and pay accompanying legal fees for issues that are not your responsibility. Both you and your tenant(s) will benefit from purchasing and maintaining a renters insurance policy, and it will keep either of you from having to deal with uncomfortable financial and legal scenarios in the future.
Hold Annual Checks for Renters Insurance Policies
In the lease, it will state that the tenant must show proof of rental insurance before moving in. However, it’s possible that a tenant can let the policy lapse, in which case it would no longer be active. To avoid this scenario, have the tenant show proof of renters insurance annually — typically as a requirement for renewal. If renters insurance is a mandated part of the lease, the tenant’s canceling of the policy or allowing it to lapse is grounds for termination. Be sure to inform your tenant of the importance of renters insurance before he/she signs the lease.
