They are the innocent victims of the foreclosure crisis. 

Renters, through no fault of their own, are often blindsided by eviction. say real estate agents who specialize in managing and selling bank-owned properties. This is because lender’s notices are sent to the address of the mortgage payer, not to the property, the experts explain. The renter has no idea that the landlord is in default. Too often, to keep the rent checks coming, the landlord will leave the renter in the dark. Often, the renter only learns of the problem from the Realtor hired by the bank to monitor the property.

Now Congress is addressing the problem. Both houses this month passed bills to protect renters from sudden eviction.

“Families without the means to find temporary housing or move into another unit can be kicked out onto the streets, because their landlord failed to meet his or her obligation to pay,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. “This is wrong and I am proud to partner with my colleagues to pass new protections for these families.”

The House on May 7 approved the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act. Under its provisions, tenants may stay until their lease expires. If the property is sold to a buyer who intends to make the house his primary residence, the provision requires that the renter be given at least 90 days to find a new place to live.

Earlier, the Senate on May 1 adopted the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosures Act, an amendment to a larger housing bill. Although similar to the House version, the Senate measure would expire in 2012. The House bill has no such end date.

Before any renter protections can take effect, the Senate and House must resolve the measures’ differences. That is expected to happen within weeks, Washington insiders say.