| Entities | Florida (5) Miami (1) |
| Topics and Issues | Evictions (10) |
On May 3, 2022, the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to create a Tenants’ Bill of Rights. The ordinance is effective on May 13, 2022. On May 13, 2022, the Miami Realtors sent a letter to the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, the Mayor, the County Attorney’s Office, and the Office of Housing Advocacy to express its concerns about the law that has not been resolved. The Realtors also provided a summary of the new law:
Among other substantial changes, a landlord may not
(d) Inquire about or require disclosure from a prospective or current tenant regarding their eviction history on an application for admission to, or continuing occupancy of, a dwelling unit until the prospective tenant or current tenant has been determined qualified for admission to, or continuing occupancy of, a dwelling unit. However, nothing herein prohibits a landlord from conducting residential screening pursuant to applicable laws.
Sec. 17-167(2)(d) (emphasis added).
Under the new law, tenants can now sue landlords for violations of the Tenants’ Bill of Rights that have occurred or are about to occur. There is a statute of limitations of two years. And, tenants can seek their costs and attorneys’ fees, interest, damages, equitable relief, and injunctions.
There is also a new Office of Housing Advocacy.
Additional resources:
- In May 2022, the Miami Realtors shared slides that summarize the new law.
- What Miami-Dade County’s new Tenant Bill of Rights means for renters and landlords, Miami Herald, May 4, 2022.
- Miami-Dade Tenant’s Bill of Rights, May 3, 2022 Council Memorandum