Title
FY 2024-2025 Annual Review of the Rent Review Ordinance and Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance Programs
Staffreport
COUNCIL PRIORITY
• Housing and Homelessness
SUMMARY
The City of San Leandro's (City) Rent Review Ordinance (RRO) and Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance (TRO) require the preparation and submittal of an Annual Review to the Rent Review Board (RRB) and City Council. The FY 2024-2025 Annual Review includes both the RRO and TRO.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Annual Review is a report that assesses the effectiveness of the RRO and TRO programs. Staff recommend that the RRB review the FY 2024-2025 Annual Review and recommend acceptance to the City Council.
BACKGROUND
In April 2001, the City adopted the RRO, San Leandro Municipal Code Title 4, Chapter 4-32, to provide a public forum for both property owners/managers and tenants to mutually resolve proposed rent increases. Since its adoption, the RRO has been amended multiple times, most recently in 2016, following earlier amendments in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2015.
The RRB is utilized by the community as a rent dispute forum for tenants and property owners/managers and is applicable to rental housing units on parcels that contain at least two tenant-occupied housing units that receive a rent increase greater than 7% or two or more rent increases within a 12-month period. Since the adoption of AB 1482 in 2029, the City has experienced a decrease in rent review cases. That law prohibits landlords from raising the rent for most rental units by more than 5% plus the Consumer Price Index (CPI), up to a maximum of 10%.
In September 2017, the City adopted the TRO, San Leandro Municipal Code Title 4, Chapter 4-37, to mitigate the adverse health, safety, and economic impacts of displacement from a landlord-caused termination of tenancy or by a rent increase of greater than 12% within a 12-month period. Under such circumstances, the tenant is entitled to a relocation payment from the landlord of up to $7,000.
Analysis
At its meeting on October 22, 2024, RRB members requested that future reports provide additional information when available. The FY 2024-2025 Annual Review includes the following information:
• Counts of tenants and landlords who made RRO and TRO inquiries
• Outcomes of inquiries
• Commercially available rental market data
Staff also explored the option of providing additional demographic information and determined that the current reporting system does not capture data specific to TRO or RRO inquiries.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment A: FY 2024-2025 Annual Review of the Rent Review Ordinance and
Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance Programs
PREPARED BY: Grace Streltzov, Senior Housing Specialist
Robert Feign, Housing Specialist II
REVIEWED BY: Kerri Heusler, Housing Manager, Community Development Department