Tenants, city councilors discuss need for renter protection in St. Paul

Kelsey Christensen KSTP

Tenants, city councilors discuss need for renter protection in St. Paul

On Friday morning, leaders and renters in St. Paul said there is an "urgent need" to protect tenants in the city during a news conference.

The issue of renter protections is gaining traction throughout the Twin Cities.

On Friday morning, leaders and renters in St. Paul said there is an “urgent need” to protect tenants in the city during a news conference.

The event followed the introduction of a bill Thursday at the state Capitol that would ban discrimination against those who rely on housing vouchers to help pay rent.

Hundreds of renters are now looking to get protections, and stood alongside some city councilors, highlighting the safe housing ordinance, which was voted in three years ago but was later rescinded due to a landlord-driven lawsuit.

Those protections include limiting security deposit amounts, look-back periods for criminal history and evictions and include a 90-day notice of a property sale.

Council president Mitra Jalali says she’s looking to pass updated renter protections.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS also heard from one St. Paul renter, who says he barely got a rental because of his credit record, so he had to pay $3,800 to get in the door.

“No one should be treated this way, certainly,” said Suleiman Ahmed who rents at Isaiah. “I know other people who have been treated this way when they try to find a rental. I have talked to people who cry, have a lot of issues struggling, as they share their similar stories to mine.”

“This is why it’s time to pass in St. Paul,” Ahmed continued.

Throughout the state, some renters using housing vouchers say there are still barriers when it comes to finding a landlord who accepts the voucher.

Now, state lawmakers want to make sure they’re protected, which is why they’re introducing the Housing Stability Act, which would clarify the state’s Human Rights Act and make it illegal for landlords to choose not to rent to someone using the vouchers. The proposal was unveiled earlier in the week.

Last year, the City of Minneapolis passed an ordinance giving renters more protections.

In December, Mayor Jacob Frey signed a pre-lease renters protection ordinance, which offers guarantees to renters who sign a pre-lease. For instance, if renters can’t live in the unit by the move-in date, they cane ither exit the lease, get reimbursed or find alternative living arrangements.