PONTIAC, Mich. – Pontiac city leaders unveiled a comprehensive tenant protection package Tuesday aimed at strengthening renters’ rights in a city where half the population rents their homes.
Pontiac City Council members Mikal Goodman and Mike McGuinness are spearheading the proposed ordinance, which would establish new safeguards for the city’s approximately 30,000 renters.
“I grew up in Section 8 housing, have lived in Pontiac my entire life,” Goodman said. “Before I got on council, I was spending half of my income on rent every month and having to constantly call the landlord about extermination problems, for example.”
The proposed reforms encompass 13 key provisions aimed at enhancing transparency and stability for renters.
Among the most significant changes, property owners would be required to provide written leases, detailed documentation of all rental fees upfront, and receipts for cash payments.
The ordinance would also restrict automatic lease renewals and strengthen protections against evictions.
“We’ve got to do right by (by renters), and we’ve already been making really good strides,” McGuinness said, referring to Pontiac’s renter population.
While tenant advocates praise the reforms, property owners are calling for collaboration to prevent unintended consequences.
“As we talk about policy changes, we also want to keep in mind that they potentially could raise rents,” said Erika Farley, Executive Director of the Rental Property Owners Association of Michigan. “We want to keep things safe. We want to make sure people are healthy, the properties are well taken care of, but we also want to make sure that we are not, as an unintended consequence, making it more costly for people to get into rental housing.”
The Pontiac City Council will vote Tuesday night (June 24) on drafting the ordinance language.
If approved, this initial step will initiate the formal process for implementing the new tenant protections.