Colorado’s Democrat state lawmakers would have us believe that landlords are so greedy, they are refusing to take people’s money in exchange for rent and are instead evicting people for no good reason.
No wonder Democrat-run governments are such a failure if they think the free market is based on people making money by refusing to sell their goods and services to people in exchange for money.
Democrats argue a law is needed to tell property owners when they are permitted to evict tenants.
A law is already in place to prohibit discrimination under the Fair Housing Act against a person because of their race or color, religion, sex, national origin, familiar status, or disability.
Typically, evictions are the result of nonpayment of rent, destruction of property, noise, or other public nuisance or safety complaints that go unresolved.
Evictions could also have nothing to do with the tenant or their behavior, but to sell the property or other needs that confront the property owners.
It looks like what bill sponsors really want to do is force property owners to pay tenants when they are no longer permitted to live there.
A landlord that proceeds with a no-fault eviction in violation of certain notice requirements or other restrictions must provide relocation assistance to the tenant in the amount of 2 months’ rent plus one additional month of rent if any of the following individuals reside in the residential premises:
- An individual who is under 18 years of age or at least 60 years of age;
- An individual whose income is no greater than 80% of the area median income; or
- An individual with a disability.
If a landlord proceeds with an eviction of a tenant without cause, the tenant may seek relief as provided in existing laws concerning unlawful removal of a tenant and may assert the landlord’s violation as an affirmative defense to an eviction proceeding.
And who helps tenants with these eviction cases in court? Government agencies funded by tax dollars.
And who pays for the increased cost of housing to cover these increased costs for landlords?
The renters.
So how does this make housing more affordable?
It doesn’t.