Renters who stayed a full year could get a rebate of up to 10 percent of their rent
What it does
HB 489 would create a rebate program that the state comptroller would run for rental households. Each eligible household would receive a payment of up to ten percent of the rent it paid during the previous tax year, and total payments each year would not exceed half the balance of the fund. To qualify, a household must have paid rent to the same landlord for the twelve calendar months of the year it applies for, and it must apply on a form and by a deadline set by the comptroller. Landlords would have to file a certificate of rent paid with the comptroller by February 1 each year, and the money would come from a dedicated fund in the state treasury that the legislature can put money into.
What it means for your community
Renters who stayed with the same landlord for a full year could get money back based on the rent they paid. The size of the rebate would depend on what the legislature puts into the fund, because payments cannot exceed half of the fund's balance. Apartment owners would have a new yearly filing with the comptroller and would have to report what each household paid in rent. The program would start September 1, 2027, so no rebates would be paid before that date.
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