Delaware News

AG Jennings issues open letter to Delaware landlords urging Delaware Landlord/Tenant Code Compliance

Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Tuesday, October 22, 2024


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Attorney General Kathy Jennings‘ Fraud and Consumer Protection Division has issued an open letter to Delaware landlords regarding commonly seen illegal lease provisions in residential leases. The letter puts landlords on notice that their residential leases must comply with Delaware’s Residential Landlord/Tenant Code.
Attorney General Jennings stated: “Landlords have tremendous power over their tenants. The Residential Landlord/Tenant Code sets rules of the road to ensure that tenants are not exploited. The presence of prohibited or unenforceable provisions in a lease can dissuade tenants from enforcing their rights and may constitute an unfair practice under the Consumer Fraud Act. With this letter, landlords are on notice that it is their responsibility to comply with the law. The DOJ will continue to monitor residential leases to ensure that tenants’ rights are protected.”
A copy of the open letter can be found at https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2024/10/2024-12-22-Open-Letter-to-Landlords.pdf. Tenants whose leases contain illegal or unenforceable provisions may file a consumer complaint with the Delaware Department of Justice Fraud and Consumer Protection Division https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/fraud/cmu/complaint/. Tenants with additional questions can contact the DOJ’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 302-683-8800.
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AG Jennings issues open letter to Delaware landlords urging Delaware Landlord/Tenant Code Compliance

Department of Justice Press Releases | Date Posted: Tuesday, October 22, 2024


Navy blue background featuring the Delaware state seal in the center
Attorney General Kathy Jennings‘ Fraud and Consumer Protection Division has issued an open letter to Delaware landlords regarding commonly seen illegal lease provisions in residential leases. The letter puts landlords on notice that their residential leases must comply with Delaware’s Residential Landlord/Tenant Code.
Attorney General Jennings stated: “Landlords have tremendous power over their tenants. The Residential Landlord/Tenant Code sets rules of the road to ensure that tenants are not exploited. The presence of prohibited or unenforceable provisions in a lease can dissuade tenants from enforcing their rights and may constitute an unfair practice under the Consumer Fraud Act. With this letter, landlords are on notice that it is their responsibility to comply with the law. The DOJ will continue to monitor residential leases to ensure that tenants’ rights are protected.”
A copy of the open letter can be found at https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2024/10/2024-12-22-Open-Letter-to-Landlords.pdf. Tenants whose leases contain illegal or unenforceable provisions may file a consumer complaint with the Delaware Department of Justice Fraud and Consumer Protection Division https://attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/fraud/cmu/complaint/. Tenants with additional questions can contact the DOJ’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 302-683-8800.
image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.