By Paige Orr, Fox23 News
TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma renters could soon have more leverage when it comes to essential repairs and living conditions.
House Bill 2015, which aims to modernize the Oklahoma Landlord and Tenant Act, passed the House floor this week with a 52-39 vote. The measure now heads to the State Senate for consideration.
The bill’s author, State Rep. Daniel Pae (R-Lawton), said the legislation has been more than four years in the making.
The primary goal of the bill is to address critical health and safety issues, such as mold, broken air conditioning or water service interruptions by giving tenants a clear legal pathway when their homes become uninhabitable.
Under the proposed law, a specific 14-day timeline would be established for repairs. If a tenant provides written notice of a problem, the landlord would have two weeks to respond or begin fixing the issue.
“We’re focusing on issues related to health and safety,” said Pae. “Whether it’s water being turned off in a unit, mold being discovered or the AC not working properly, we want to make sure that the tenant feels absolutely comfortable living in his or her unit.”
For many Tulsa renters, the current system can feel one-sided.
Our news partners at FOX23 spoke with two local tenants who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation from their landlords.
One woman reported living without a working shower for seven months.
Another tenant argued that accountability should be a two-way street.
The legislation also includes a provision allowing tenants to withhold rent under specific conditions, provided the funds are deposited into a designated repair account.
However, Pae emphasized during the committee phase that the bill is not intended to penalize property owners who maintain their buildings.
“We don’t want to punish good landlords. I think most landlords are good people. I think they’re trying their absolute best to take care of the tenants. It’s really the ones who are not taking care of the tenants that we’re trying to remedy with this bill.”
To protect landlords, the bill includes a “bad faith” clause. If a tenant is found to have brought a lawsuit in bad faith, the landlord would be able to recover attorney fees and potentially damages equivalent to two months’ rent.
As the bill moves to the Senate, Pae is encouraging Oklahomans to stay involved in the legislative process.
“What I would tell them is to continue to advocate on this issue. I think there’s certainly a majority of colleagues who agree that our laws need to be updated and then we can do it in a fair and balanced way for both landlords and tenants.”
If signed into law, House Bill 2015 would take effect Nov. 1.
You can read the entirety of House Bill 2015 below:
