Year in Review: New renter protections enacted
In June, the City Council approved a comprehensive update of the City’s Residential Rent Stabilization Ordinance, the culmination of two-year outreach and evaluation process to provide real protections for Hayward tenants against rent gouging and unjustified evictions.
The legislation established a mandatory mediation and binding arbitration process that can be utilized by tenants when their landlord wants to raise rent by more than five percent in a year. The process applies to multi-unit residential properties constructed prior to 1979, and exempts all single-family homes and condominiums as required by state law.
The updated ordinance also sets forth justifications by which landlords can lawfully evict tenants. It prohibits discrimination against housing applicants who intend to use government vouchers to pay their rent, and protects tenants against retaliation for exercising their rights under the new law.
Additionally, under the new law, landlords are now required to begin filing with the City residential rent increase notices and notices of termination of tenancy. City housing officials intend to use the data to more accurately track rental housing trends and support development of future housing policy.
For more information, the City Housing Division is holding a pair of workshops tailored to tenants and to landlords on Jan. 15 and Feb. 26. To learn more, visit the workshops page on the City’s website.
