The Ypsilanti Ballot Initiative Group YpsiBIG is asking the City Council to move forward on a Tenants' Bill of Rights ordinance.
Last year, YpsiBIG collected enough signatures to put a Renters' Bill of Rights up for a vote, but a timing issue kept it off the ballot. Now, the group is asking the City Council to pass one on its own, similar to what the Ann Arbor Council approved.
YpsiBIG member Colton Ray says with Ypsilanti’s large renter population, the ordinance is needed and wanted.
“Tenant rights was the most popular initiative, and tenant rights, of course, is directly tied to housing security for renters.”
YpsiBIG is asking for a ban on application fees, right of first refusal when a unit is sold and rental data transparency.
The Council asked City Attorney Randy Barker to work on the language for a possible ordinance.
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