Title
Staff Report for Proposed Amendments to the City of San Leandro Rent Review Ordinance
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Amendments to the San Leandro Rent Review Ordinance are proposed to update the 2001 ordinance, respond to the current rental market and to more effectively administer the Rent Review Program that coordinates rent dispute hearings between tenants and landlords.
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Ordinance amending Title 4, Chapter 32 of the San Leandro Municipal Code relating to the Rent Review Board.
BACKGROUND
In 2001, the City Council established a Rent Review Program 1) to respond to increasing residential rents in the City and throughout the Bay Area, and 2) to create a public forum for rent disputes between tenants and landlords that is presided over by a balanced Rent Review Board to achieve mutually agreeable rent resolutions. The Rent Review Board consists of five members: 2 tenant, 2 landlord, and 1 non-landlord/non-tenant (e.g., homeowner).
The Ordinance was originally created through input from a variety of local rental housing stakeholders such as the Rental Housing Association of Southern Alameda County (RHA), ECHO Housing (an experienced nonprofit housing agency with expertise in housing law), Davis Street Family Resource Center, and tenants. From its onset, the Ordinance sought to balance the needs of both renters and landlords with an emphasis on a mutually satisfactory resolution. The Ordinance applies primarily to any housing unit for rent in a building with three or more units. The Ordinance provides that:
* All landlords must provide a notice informing each tenant of the City's Rent Review Program with any rent increase notification. If a tenant does not receive the program notice, then the rent increase is nullified until the landlord properly re-notices. The Rent Review Board notice along with the Ordinance and frequently asked questions (FAQ) are availabl...
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