Nearly 200 tenants launched a rent strike at the start of this month over what they see as intolerable living conditions at two large apartment buildings in Kansas City and Independence.

The renters at Quality Hill Towers and Independence Towers are demanding better upkeep, repairs, collectively bargained leases and capping annual rent hikes at 3% across the country for buildings backed with federally secured loans.

The Beacon has put together a guide breaking down who’s involved, what tenants want and what’s at stake.

When was the last tenant strike in Kansas City?

The last high-profile rent strike in Kansas City came in August 1980. More than 500 residents withheld their rent for four days to demand new management at Vista Del Rio retirement complex.

Where can I report issues in my rental unit?

Tenants in Kansas City, Missouri, can report maintenance problems to the city’s Healthy Homes Rental Inspection Program by calling 311 or 816-513-6464 or at the city Health Department at 2400 Troost Ave. Healthy Homes covers complaints like water leaks, pests, mold and lack of heating. The Health Department can investigate and issue citations to landlords.

Residents in Independence can report unresolved issues through the city’s Rental Ready Program by completing and submitting a landlord/tenant complaint form to the Community Development Department. You can do this by emailing [email protected] or going to City Hall, 111 E. Maple Ave. A third-party inspector may then check for code violations. However, unresolved issues in approved properties, including Independence Towers, have raised concerns about the program’s effectiveness.

Tenants in buildings assisted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can report issues by calling the Multifamily Housing Complaint Line at 1-800-685-8470.

Do Kansas City tenants have the right to strike?

In Missouri, a tenant has no right to withhold rent in most cases. If a tenant withholds rent payments until repairs are completed, the renter may be in violation of their lease and may be subject to eviction. However, there is a narrow exception that allows tenants to make specific repairs and deduct costs from rent, but only if the following conditions are met:

• The condition affects the sanitation, security or habitability of the property and violates city code. If a landlord disputes that, the tenant will need written verification of the violation from city inspectors.
• The tenant must have lived at the property for at least six consecutive months.
• The tenant must be up-to-date on all rent payments.
• The tenant cannot be in violation of the lease.
• The tenant has provided written notice of the problem to the landlord along with the tenant’s plan to fix it. The landlord then has 14 days to respond.
• If the landlord still does not fix the code violation within 14 days of receiving the notice, the tenant can proceed with repairs. In most cases, costs should be kept below $300 or half a month’s rent, whichever is higher.

If these criteria are not met, withholding rent could make a tenant vulnerable to eviction. However, evictions always require a court order, and tenants have the right to fight eviction in court.

What is Fannie Mae?

Independence Towers and Quality Hill Towers were bought through loans backed by the Federal National Mortgage Association, commonly known as Fannie Mae. Rather than lending directly to homebuyers, Fannie Mae buys loans from banks and other private lenders.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency regulates Fannie Mae by overseeing its policies and ensuring safe conditions in the properties it backs.

In May, Fannie Mae filed a lawsuit against 728 N Jennings Rd Partners LLC., the owner of Independence Towers. A Jackson County judge appointed Trigild Inc. as the receiver in charge of managing the property. Representatives with the FHFA say that Fannie Mae cannot directly instruct the receiver, but it can provide funding and offer guidance on necessary improvements based on its knowledge of the property.

This article first appeared on Beacon: Kansas City and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.