In connection with a protected action, each tenant shall cooperate with the owner in providing information necessary to certify eligibility for housing subsidy payments and in executing all necessary documents.

A tenant may not: waive or assign the tenant’s rights under this title; or receive consideration to relinquish rights under this title. A waiver or relinquishment made in violation of this section is void.

If a new tenant moves into an assisted unit after a notice of intent is given, the owner shall give the new tenant written notice that: sets forth any rent increase that the owner plans after the protected action; and states that the new tenant will not be entitled to tenant protection assistance.

Before taking a protected action, an owner may not terminate without cause the leasehold interest of a tenant occupying an assisted unit to avoid the owner’s obligations under this title.

In this section, “excess rent” means rent that exceeds the rent payable by a tenant under the tenant’s lease as of the date of the notice of intent, adjusted as allowed under § 7-212(c) of this title. Until 1 year has passed since the owner gave notice of intent, and the owner complies with the requirements of this title, nonpayment of excess rent is not grounds for an owner to: terminate a lease of an assisted unit; or sue for possession of the leased property.

In connection with a protected action, an owner: may not terminate or alter the terms and conditions of a lease entered into before the effective date of the protected action; may not interfere with the efforts of individual tenants to obtain housing subsidies or other public assistance; may not discriminate based on source of income or receipt of a housing subsidy; may not interfere with the rights of a tenant to occupy an assisted unit under an existing lease or applicable federal, State, or local law; and shall cooperate with a tenant to execute all necessary documents to enable the payment of housing subsidies to or for the tenant. If the owner has interfered with a tenant’s application for a housing subsidy or other public assistance, the nonpayment of any amount of rent for an assisted unit in excess of 30% of the tenant’s income is not grounds for the owner to terminate the lease or sue for possession of the leased property.

The person responsible for the closing of a real estate transaction shall file with the Department a written statement, made and signed by the owner under the penalties of perjury, that the transaction complies with this title, if the transaction includes: a sale or conveyance of an assisted project or the real property associated with it, and: is a protected action; or occurred within 10 years after a protected action for which the owner failed to comply with this title; or a release of: a mortgage secured by an assisted project; or a regulatory agreement or other document executed in connection with the mortgage that restricts the income levels of the tenants or the rental rates of the assisted project.