WE THE TENANTS HAVE BEEN TREATED POORLY BY OUR LANDLORDS.

We have honored our leases and paid our rent faithfully, even during the moratorium. We have worked hard to keep a roof over our families' heads and some of us barely scrape by.

We don't ask for more than we are able to afford, but we have been forced to live with less than we deserve. If we try to stand up for ourselves we get harassed, retaliated against, refused repairs and threatened with wrongful evictions.

Our landlords know that we do not have the financial resources to defend ourselves, so they have gotten away with charging us bogus fees that we have no other choice but to pay.

Over time, the bogus fees we have paid add up to hundreds, even thousands of dollars that could otherwise have been used to catch up on bills or pay off debt.

We the tenants hereby exercise our right to request lease audits from our landlords, so that we may be reimbursed the money we are owed.

WHAT IS A LEASE AUDIT?

According to Nolo.com a lease audit is a process for examining a landlord's books and records to make sure the operating expense charges that are passed through to the tenant are fair and accurate and they meet the terms outlined in the lease agreement.

SELF-HELP

Obtain copies of your lease agreement and read it thoroughly. Obtain your itemized invoice/statement from your landlord. Obtain copies of your bank statement, rent payment receipts, other proof of rent payment and compare with lease agreement to see if they correlate.

Contact the Legal Aid Center and speak with an attorney about your tenant rights. Contact a lease auditor to discuss your lease audit options. Contact your landlord and assert your tenant audit rights. Contact your local and State representatives to help enforce your tenant audit rights:

CALL TO ACTION

Sign this petition and share it with your neighbors, friends, family, and everyone who needs it. Connect with your neighbors and advocate for yourselves and each other. Do not say silent, speak up and share your stories on social media #DoAnAudit