§ 245.115 Protected activities.

(a) Owners of multifamily housing projects covered under § 245.10, and their agents, must allow tenants and tenant organizers to conduct the following activities related to the establishment or operation of a tenant organization: (1) Distributing leaflets in lobby areas; (2) Placing leaflets at or under tenants' doors; (3) Distributing leaflets in common areas; (4) Initiating contact with tenants; (5) Conducting door-to-door surveys of tenants to ascertain interest in establishing a tenant organization and to offer information about tenant organizations; (6) Posting information on bulletin boards; (7) Assisting tenants to participate in tenant organization activities; (8) Convening regularly scheduled tenant organization meetings in a space on site and accessible to tenants, in a manner that is fully independent of management representatives. In order to preserve the independence of tenant organizations, management representatives may not attend such meetings unless invited by the tenant organization to specific meetings to discuss a specific issue or issues; and (9) Formulating responses to owner's requests for: (i) Rent increases; (ii) Partial payment of claims; (iii) The conversion from project-based paid utilities to tenant-paid utilities; (iv) A reduction in tenant utility allowances; (v) Converting residential units to non-residential use, cooperative housing, or condominiums; (vi) Major capital additions; and (vii) Prepayment of loans. (b) In addition to the activities listed in paragraph (a) of this section, owners of multifamily housing projects covered under § 245.10, and their agents, must allow tenants and tenant organizers to conduct other reasonable activities related to the establishment or operation of a tenant organization. (c) Owners of multifamily housing projects and their agents shall not require tenants and tenant organizers to obtain prior permission before engaging in the activities permitted under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section.