Public Policy Principles

The legal system should provide fair and equal justice to landlords and tenants alike. RHAWA believes in protecting the general health, safety and welfare of all tenants, and works to eliminate sub-standard rental units by supporting existing state law and local housing, fire and health codes. RHAWA believes Landlord-Tenant Laws should be uniform statewide.

Housing regulations should be fair and should minimize compliance burdens and costs. RHAWA believes housing regulations should not place discriminatory burdens on rental housing relative to other forms of housing.

RHAWA opposes regulatory fees on rental housing that seek to transfer the cost of general public services, including police and fire protection, to rental property owners and tenants. Regulatory fees and user fees must fairly apportion regulatory and service costs based on the services actually provided to individual fee payers. Government should not use regulatory fees and user fees to fund general public services that are available to fee payers and non-fee payers alike.

Government at all levels should carefully weigh the benefits of housing and land use regulations to ensure regulatory costs do not outweigh regulatory benefits. The high cost of compliance with housing and land use regulations, including permitting requirements and development restrictions, are major factors in reducing housing availability that leads to high housing costs.

A competitive rental market provides efficient and cost effective housing to the vast majority of the population. RHAWA opposes rent control. Rent control distorts the allocation of housing resources, discourages investment and upkeep, induces unfair rent discrimination, and creates expensive and intrusive bureaucracy.

RHAWA has long championed rental vouchers for low-income persons needing housing. Vouchers offer an effective, efficient program for providing market-rate housing to those who can't otherwise afford it. RHAWA believes rental vouchers should be a significant part of any low-income housing program.

Respect for property rights is the foundation of a free society and economic prosperity. RHAWA believes government regulations should not unduly or unfairly restrict the rights of property owners to control the use of their property. RHAWA believes housing regulations should recognize and preserve the privacy and property rights of both tenants and landlords.

The public welfare demands open and honest government. RHAWA believes government officials are public servants and should conduct their affairs openly and honestly. Full access to information concerning the conduct of government at every level is a fundamental and necessary precondition to sound governance of society. Public officials are encouraged to fully and faithfully comply with the Public Disclosure Act.

RHAWA believes in protecting the general health safety and welfare of all tenants, and works to eliminate substandard rental units by supporting existing state law and local housing, fire and health codes. Existing laws and codes are sufficient to remedy egregious, unsafe conditions, but only if they are enforced by local jurisdictions.

Rental housing should be taxed uniformly based on value, along with all other real estate. RHAWA strongly supports tax uniformity and opposes taxes that discriminate against rental housing, such as business taxes and regulatory fees that are imposed on rental housing to raise revenue.