PRESS RELEASE
March 10, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Debbie Potter, City of Alameda
510-747-6890
City Council Adopts Rent Stabilization and Eviction Limitation Ordinance
On March 1st, the Alameda City Council adopted a new ordinance to protect local tenants from the rapidly increasing cost of rental housing that is the result of rising rents and a tight rental market. The new policy is a hybrid of other rent stabilization models, while building on the City’s existing rent mediation framework. The new ordinance goes into effect on March 31, 2016.
Rather than creating a cap on rent increases, as in traditional rent control, this ordinance sets a “trigger” of five percent so that property owners must initiate a rent mediation process through the City’s Rent Review Advisory Committee (RRAC). The role of the RRAC in examining all rent increases above five percent is expected to curb the rapid rise in rental costs. The new ordinance also includes a requirement for a binding hearing if both sides do not reach agreement. Due to state law, the binding hearing would only apply to multi-family rental units built before February 1, 1995 (i.e single family homes are exempt). If a rent increase is five percent or less, the ordinance requires landlords to notify tenants of the availability of the RRAC’s rent review process.
The ordinance also implements eviction protections to reduce the number of tenants who are evicted solely to raise rents and provides for payment of relocation benefits. It contains limitations on “no cause” evictions, in which the landlord gives no reason for the eviction. It also requires relocation assistance for “no cause” evictions and for “no fault” evictions, which are not due to any fault of the tenant but may be needed by the landlord, such as to move in a family member. These protections cover all rental units with limited exceptions.
The City Council also continued the existing moratorium prohibiting residential rent increases of eight percent or more and “no cause” evictions, until March 31, 2016, to continue to stabilize the rental market until the new ordinance becomes effective.
The staff report is posted on the City’s website and can be found at the following link: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2564230&GUID=81B1B232-FFCC-4B60-A98E-C3AB7633C41D&Options=&Search=&FullText=1.
The ordinance can be found at: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2574143&GUID=8252A82B-4489-43E8-A560-5BC9B29541B0&Options=&Search=&FullText=1
More information about the moratorium and the City’s current rent review process (RRAC) can be found at:
http://alamedaca.gov/city-hall/rent-review-advisory-committee-rrac.
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