Housing

HB 1496 amends North Dakota law to clarify landlords' responsibilities for maintaining rental properties. It requires landlords to comply with health/safety building codes, make necessary repairs, keep common areas clean, maintain essential systems (like plumbing and heating), and provide running water and reasonable heat (68°F Oct-April, seasonally appropriate May-Sept). The bill allows written agreements between landlords and tenants of single-family homes for tenants to handle specific tasks (like waste removal), but only with good faith and separate written terms. It explicitly states landlords cannot make such agreements a condition for rental obligations. This directly affects landlords and tenants in North Dakota residential rentals.

HB 1152 amends North Dakota's definition of "residential property" for tax purposes. It clarifies that residential property includes dwellings and associated non-commercial structures like garages or barns, but explicitly excludes hotels/motels, multi-family buildings (4+ units), and tracts with 4+ mobile homes. This change directly affects property tax assessors, homeowners, and developers by altering which properties qualify for residential tax treatment. The bill would take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, though it failed to pass in the legislature.