HOUSE BILL No. 5790

 

September 10, 2014, Introduced by Rep. Hobbs and referred to the Committee on Elections and Ethics.

 

     A bill to amend 1972 PA 348, entitled

 

"An act to regulate relationships between landlords and tenants

relative to rental agreements for rental units; to regulate the

payment, repayment, use and investment of security deposits; to

provide for commencement and termination inventories of rental

units; to provide for termination arrangements relative to rental

units; to provide for legal remedies; and to provide penalties,"

 

by amending the title and section 16 (MCL 554.616).

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

TITLE

 

     An act to regulate relationships between landlords and tenants

 

relative to rental agreements for rental units; to regulate the

 

payment, repayment, use and investment of security deposits; to

 

provide for commencement and termination inventories of rental

 

units; to provide for termination arrangements relative to rental

 

units; to require landlords to provide tenants with voter

 

registration information; to provide for the powers and duties of


 

certain state and local governmental entities; to provide for legal

 

remedies; and to provide penalties and civil sanctions.

 

     Sec. 16. (1) This act takes effect April 1, 1973 and applies

 

only to security deposits held pursuant to leases entered into,

 

renewed or renegotiated after April 1, 1973.Subject to subsection

 

(2), when a tenant takes possession of a rental unit, the owner

 

shall provide the tenant with all of the following:

 

     (a) Specific information on how to register to vote and the

 

eligibility requirements to register.

 

     (b) A voter registration application.

 

     (c) Notice that election information and further registration

 

information is available on the secretary of state's website.

 

     (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a sublessee unless the

 

sublessee takes possession of the rental unit with the owner's

 

knowledge and consistent with the owner's rental agreement with the

 

sublessor.

 

     (3) The secretary of state shall post on its website

 

information and forms that an owner may use to satisfy the

 

requirements of subsection (1), in an easily printable format. The

 

website shall state both of the following:

 

     (a) That the information and forms are adequate to satisfy the

 

requirements of subsection (1) if provided to a tenant as required

 

under subsection (1).

 

     (b) That the expense of printing the forms may be tax

 

deductible.

 

     (4) A person who violates subsection (1) is responsible for a

 

state civil infraction and may be ordered to pay a civil fine of


 

not more than $1,000.00.