Anita Bonds’ Eleventh-Hour Amendment Strips Tenant Rights From Thousands of Renters Without Warning or Much Debate

The D.C. Council approved a last-minute amendment Wednesday from At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds that eliminates long-standing rights for thousands of tenants in D.C.

Bonds’ amendment to the Rebalancing Expectations for Neighbors, Tenants and Landlords (RENTAL) Act creates an exemption to the law that gives tenants the right of first refusal when their rental building goes up for sale. That law, the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act, or TOPA, was originally enacted in the 1980s with the goal of preventing displacement, preserving affordability, and giving tenants a say in what happens when their homes change hands. The rights bestowed to tenants under TOPA have vexed landlords and developers for years.

Bonds’ amendment creates an exemption from TOPA for buildings with fewer than five