INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – Mayor Joe Hogsett signed an ordinance protecting renters from bad landlords Wednesday.
It takes effect immediately but faces an uncertain future given some opposition at the Statehouse.
The ordinance, approved by the City County Council Monday, requires landlords to notify renters of their rights, set up a tenant's hotline, provide free legal help and impose fines on landlords who try to evict tenants who report unsafe living conditions.
The mayor has said the measure is meant to protect the city's most vulnerable tenants from "predatory" landlords or those who prey on tenants with limited resources.
Monday, the House judiciary committee passed an amendment of Senate Bill 340 that would greatly restrict the ordinance.
It would prevent local governments from passing legislation regulating landlord/tenant relationships without approval from the General Assembly.
Hogsett hopes the city can make its case and strike down that amendment before it becomes law.
