Mayor Daniella Levine Cava holds ceremony to sign ‘Tenant’s Bill of Rights’

Miami-Dade, Florida – On Wednesday, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava held a ceremonial bill signing for the “Tenant’s Bill of Rights”.

The ordinance formalizes the creation of a new Office of Housing Advocacy.

Tenants will now be able to avoid eviction if they use the rent money to pay for repairs landlords have been neglecting.

Landlords must also provide the new bill of rights to tenants and details on Florida law banning landlords from shutting off utilities for non-payment of rent.

They will also need to notify their tenants if the building changes owners and warn them if the building is unsafe. “If you are living in a substandard unit, if you need to make necessary repairs this will guarantee that you have the ability to make those repairs, document them, and reduce your rent accordingly,” Levine Cava said at the ceremony.

Believing it could be used by tenants to cheat out on paying rent, real estate groups opposed the measure.

They also opposed an item in the law banning landlords from asking about a tenant’s prior evictions.

Landlord groups worry that could jeopardize the safety of other residents.

This comes amid rising rents in South Florida coupled with inflation and increased costs for gas, groceries, and other items.