HB 23-1254

House Bill 23-1254, also known as the Habitability of Residential Premises Act, expands protections for tenants by requiring landlords to fix any damage caused by environmental health issues that make a home unsafe or unhealthy. It also stops landlords from punishing tenants who report problems and allows certain vulnerable groups to end their lease if these issues aren't fixed quickly. The bill was signed into law on May 12, 2023, and is now in effect, meaning it applies to all relevant situations immediately.

Official Summary

The act expands conditions covered under the warranty of habitability for residential premises to include damage due to an environmental public health event. The act requires a landlord to have a residential premises remediated to a condition that complies with applicable standards for the remediation and clean up of residential premises after damage due to an environmental public health event. The act also clarifies landlord responsibilities regarding the warranty of habitability and how a tenant must give notice to a landlord if there are habitability issues with the tenant's residence. The act prohibits a landlord from retaliating against a tenant for making a good faith complaint about the conditions of the residential premises and provides conditions by which a tenant may terminate a lease if a habitability issue is not remediated. The act also specifies conditions by which certain vulnerable populations may terminate a lease if the residential premises has been damaged due to an environmental public health event that would be detrimental to the health, safety, or quality of life of those vulnerable populations. APPROVED by Governor May 12, 2023 EFFECTIVE May 12, 2023 (Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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