HB 3510

Abstract

Amends the Landlord and Tenant Act. Provides that during and after an emergency period beginning on January 1, 2021 and ending on July 1, 2021, a landlord may not, and may not threaten to: (1) deliver a termination notice of a rental agreement based on a tenant's nonpayment balance; (2) initiate or continue an action to take possession of a rental unit based on a termination notice for nonpayment delivered on or after January 1, 2021; (3) take any action that would interfere with a tenant's possession or use of a rental unit based on a tenant's nonpayment balance; (4) assess a late fee or any other penalty on a tenant's nonpayment balance; or (5) report a tenant's nonpayment balance as delinquent to any consumer credit reporting agency. Provides that before applying payments received from a tenant or on behalf of a tenant to a tenant's nonpayment balance, a landlord shall apply the payments in a specified order. Provides that during the emergency period, the landlord may provide a written notice to a tenant stating that the tenant continues to owe any rent due. Provides that, following the emergency period, a tenant with an outstanding nonpayment balance has a 6-month grace period that ends on January 1, 2022, to pay the outstanding nonpayment balance. Provides that the tenant shall notify the landlord of the tenant's intention to use the grace period, and failure to do so entitles the landlord to recover damages equal to 50% of one month's rent following the grace period. Provides that if a landlord violates the provisions, a tenant may obtain injunctive relief to recover possession or address any other violation and may recover from the landlord an amount up to 3 months' periodic rent plus any actual damages. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.