Relating to landlords and tenants, including the source of income tenants use for rent payments

This bill relates to landlords and tenants and the source of income that a tenant may use to pay rent. The bill defines “source of income” to include benefits or subsidy programs including housing assistance, housing choice vouchers, public assistance, veterans’ benefits, social security, supplemental security income or other retirement programs, and other programs administered by any federal, state, local, or nonprofit entity. “Source of income” does not, however, include income that a prospective tenant cannot demonstrate is derived from sources and activities permitted by law and is provided on an ongoing basis, or housing assistance that is not approved by the appropriate agency within days after the landlord provides all information required as a condition of the agency’s approval, including evidence that all repairs required before occupancy have been completed. The bill provides that under both Code chapters 562A (residential landlord and tenant law) and 562B (manufactured home community or mobile home park landlord and tenant law), a landlord cannot discriminate, make a distinction, or otherwise restrict the source of income that a tenant uses to pay rent for a dwelling unit or mobile home space. The bill strikes current prohibitions against municipal ordinances that prohibit property owners from refusing to rent dwelling units to persons because of the prospective tenant’s use of a federal housing choice voucher.