OPINION: Albuquerque renters deserve a 'Bill of Rights'

Nearly half of Albuquerque’s residents are renters — families, students, seniors and essential workers who contribute every day to the strength and vibrancy of our city. Yet, despite how much renters give to our community, our laws fall short in protecting them from dangerous housing conditions, arbitrary fees, and confusing, unfair application processes. We talk a lot about equity and justice in Albuquerque — now it’s time to put those values into action. That’s why I’m proud to sponsor Mayor Tim Keller’s "Renters’ Bill of Rights."

At Wednesday night’s Land Use, Planning, and Zoning Committee meeting, we heard powerful, heartbreaking testimony from renters across the city. Some spoke of landlords who allow unsafe, unhealthy conditions to fester. Others shared stories of being shut out of housing altogether by confusing or discriminatory application processes. These stories aren’t rare — they reflect a system that’s deeply broken.

And once again, we heard from landlords recycling the same tired talking points: that any protections for tenants will harm small-time landlords, including seniors who depend on rental income to help make ends meet. It’s wrong to let major property owners use seniors as a shield against tenant protections, forcing renters to bear the weight of a broken system. That’s not justice —i t’s exploitation. If seniors are having trouble covering their basic expenses, that’s a real problem and one that we should all work towards addressing, but the solution is not to just say that it’s the responsibility of renters to cover the shortfall.

Housing is a human right. Everyone deserves a home that is safe, stable and respectful of their dignity — and that includes the right to live with your whole family, even when that family includes a companion animal.

An overwhelming 97% of Americans who live with an animal consider that animal a member of their family, and over half say animals are as much a part of their family as humans. In times of crisis — like domestic violence or natural disasters — people too often stay in dangerous situations simply because they have no safe place to go with their animals. In Albuquerque, renters are still being forced to choose between shelter and the animal they love. That’s not right. The Renters’ Bill of Rights would finally correct it — by affirming that renters have the right to live with their full family, including their companion animals.

This legislation goes beyond compassion — it is about justice. Albuquerque renters are more likely to be low-income and people of color, and they are most often the ones hit hardest by rising housing costs and limited housing choices. Without strong, enforceable protections, our neighbors are left vulnerable to exploitation and displacement.

The Renters’ Bill of Rights will help change that. It guarantees the right to healthy housing, fair notice for rent increases and evictions, and the ability to make urgent repairs when landlords won’t. And yes, it finally affirms that the people of Albuquerque have the right to keep their families together — furry, feathered, or scaled members included.

Let’s be clear: this is a moral issue. It’s time to stand with renters and pass the "Renters’ Bill of Rights."