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As a tenant, in the last 11 years, I have moved 10 times. I have had conflict with landlords multiple times over responsibilities for maintenance and have been bullied as a deflection to live in better conditions. Some examples of this are:
-At 20, a landlord I had called me stupid and told me that the cockroaches that were all over my apartment were "water-bugs." I could feel that my carpet was wet and my apartment smelled. I had to email her for months and physically bring in a dead cockroach before action was taken. It was discovered that my unit, which was below ground, was having sewage water leak out and soak into my carpet. I had to fight to get a dehumidifier in my apartment provided to me to help reduce the existing water in the carpet. She switched locations in December, and did not process anyone's water payment as she left. The new complex manager issued eviction notices to all tenants for failing to pay their water bill instead of reviewing the accounts.
-I rented a house that was so unlevel that I could loose things in my upstairs hallway between the walls if I wasn't careful; I could stick my entire fist in the gap. We had a rat in our basement for several months. We also had to fight against being required to cut down a tree and pay to clean out the gutters. The landlord made a joke several times about the stairs being too dangerous to walk on during my final walk through.
-I was priced out of a rent-controlled apartment that I could already barely afford. At 30k pre-tax, I was about a grand away from being disqualified to live there. But rent was going to be $875 and then I needed to pay electricity separately. That was going to make paying to live in my income restricted housing over 35% of my income.

We need to have clearly defined, fair leases where responsibilities are made plain for all parties involved. Fair leases should not include abusive terms, and if a landlord is found using abusive terms, the lease is nullified. As a part of this, having an Office of Tenant Protections would help administer and ensure that properties with federally-backed mortgages have a clear responsibility to honor tenant rights. The Office would have the power to enforce tenant rights and review leases and cases where those rights are being violated.

However, what I feel we need most is rent regulations. Rent that is not reflective of true area median income keeps tenants in vicious cycles of moving, and potentially poverty. Tenants moving away then drives up prices further as those units are listed at new, higher prices and the cycle continues. Rent regulations should factor in the cost of utilities and determine that the total cost of housing, not just rent. There is no way to lead a completely happy and healthy life while every single month is a race to make sure you have a home. When I was making less than 15.00 per hour, every single dollar made the difference to me. Rent regulation would prevent the ballooning of prices and keep people in their homes.