2.4 20-0228 Subject: Tenant Protection, Just Cause, & Rent Ordinance Amendments
From: City Attorney Parker, Councilmember Bas And Pro Tempore Kalb
Recommendation: Adopt An Ordinance Amending Chapter 8.22 Of The Oakland Municipal Code (Residential Rent Adjustments And Evictions) To (1) Limit The Maximum Rent Increase In Any One Year To Conform To State Law; (2) Make Failure To Pay Required Relocation Benefits An Affirmative Defense To Eviction; (3) Limit Late Fees; (4) Prohibit Unilaterally Imposed Changes To Terms Of Tenancy; (5) Add One-For-One Replacement Of Roommates To The Definition Of Housing Services; (6) Prohibit Eviction Based On Additional Occupants If Landlord Unreasonably Refused Tenant's Written Request To Add Occupant(S); And (7) Strengthen Tenants' Rights And Enforcement Of Tenants' Rights Under The Tenant Protection Ordinance [TITLE CHANGE]
I am writing to urge you to immediately extend Oakland's eviction moratorium until the state of emergency is lifted. Experts warn of a tsunami of evictions due to COVID-19. Like the pandemic and the police violence, communities of color will bear the brunt of the crisis. Housing keeps us safe, not the police. Will you defund OPD, extend the Eviction Moratorium, and pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades?
I live in district 1 and I urge you to IMMEDIATELY pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades. It is your duty to protect the people of this city from exploitative housing conditions. These measures are needed imminently, *especially* during a crisis that is so deeply and disproportionately affecting low income, people of color, the majority of whom are renters.
I live in District 1 and I strongly urge you to adopt these amendments to protect tenants. Protect our city and our people from slumlords and predatory real estate speculators.
I live in district 3 and I strongly urge you to adopt these amendments to protect tenants. COVID-19 has magnified the vulnerable position that tenants were already occupying in relation to landlords. In addition to extending the moratorium, we need to institute protections like these to ameliorate the power asymmetry in the tenant-landlord relationship.
Please protect renters during a world wide pandemic and a time of national financial collapse. Renters need added security and their protections must to be strengthened during this truly trying time. The one for one tenant replacement is a huge issue for all of us at the Vulcan Lofts. Our building manager and building owners are not honoring this law. We have been attempting to add our new roommates to the lease for over two years and this inaction and disrespect from our landlords has caused us emotional hardship, immeasurable stress and unnecessary financial burden when roommates abruptly move out with no lease legally tying them to give us 30 days notice or to pay a deposit. Our landlord wishes to turn long time tenants into mini landlords and tenants into subtenants. Making us to more work than we should be doing, and causing our roommates to fear they have less protections and rights than a typical tenant. Please help us. Pass all of these tenant protections today.
My name is Beth Gunston and I'm a longtime Oakland resident currently living in D1. As a majority renter city, we need to do all that we can to help keep our neighbors housed. I urge all councilmembers to support these logical expansions of Oakland's renter protections.
My name is Allegra Medina-Smith, I live in district 3 and I support strengthening renters protections, Oakland is full of predatory slumlords and we need more protection against them.
I support this legislation fully. Housing affordability is a massive issue in Oakland, and we need strong legislation to protect tenants including limiting the allowable yearly rent increase, and providing protection against harassment from landlords.
My name is Austin Maciey and I've lived in District 6 for the past two years. In the wake of the abysmal response from the federal government regarding COVID-19 it is critical that we take action to protect our citizens. Housing is a human right and at a time like this could mean the difference between life and death. In tandem with reducing the police budget we must protect our tenants rights during this economic and health crisis.
My name is John Flores and I live in the Redwood Heights district of Oakland. I urge you to immediately extend Oakland's eviction moratorium until the local state of emergency is lifted, as experts warn of a tsunami of evictions due to COVID-19. Like the pandemic and police violence, communities of color will bear the brunt of the crisis. Extend the Eviction Moratorium and pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades. Reinvest 50% of OPD funding (~$150 million) into the health and well-being of our neighborhoods, mental health, education, restorative justice, healthcare, and youth programs.
My name is Craig Johnson, I live in Council District 3. I strongly urge you to improve tenant's rights in our city! People should be allowed to *live* in their homes, to move and relocate, and to have reasonable expectations of rent changes met.
My name is Hunter King and I live in district 5. As a city, we cannot afford police violence or the violence of displacement. I urge you to IMMEDIATELY extend Oakland's eviction moratorium until the state of emergency is lifted. Experts warn of a tsunami of evictions due to COVID-19. Like the pandemic and police violence, communities of color will bear the brunt of the crisis. Housing keeps us safe, not the police. City Council must Defund OPD by adopting Kaplan/Bas's cuts of at least an additional 11.4M and reimagine public safety. They must also extend the Eviction Moratorium until at least the end of the local state of emergency and pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades to prevent tenants from being harassed out of their homes now and after the pandemic.
I am a D1 resident and fully support these upgraded tenant protections. Tenants in my union are currently facing harassment and intimidation for taking advantage of rent deferment under the city's Eviction Moratorium. The ability to replace occupants without penalty is also a key item as people reshuffle their living arrangements to protect residents who are immunocompromised or otherwise at high risk.
Continued focused on the under served within this attempt to protect tenants would be greatly appreciated. Do not allow them to gentrify and evict our community, especially during this state of emergency!
Thank you
I'm a landlord in D6 and urge the council to show leadership around the housing crisis by passing these upgraded tenant protections. The heart of Oakland is in working class communities of color, largely renters, who are being hit first and worst by Covid-19 and the economic impacts of the pandemic. Stronger tenant protections mean a stronger, safer Oakland.
I am writing to urge you to immediately extend Oakland's eviction moratorium until the state of emergency is lifted. Experts warn of a tsunami of evictions due to COVID-19. Like the pandemic and the police violence, communities of color will bear the brunt of the crisis. Housing keeps us safe, not the police. Will you defund OPD, extend the Eviction Moratorium, and pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades?
I live in district 1 and I urge you to IMMEDIATELY pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades. It is your duty to protect the people of this city from exploitative housing conditions. These measures are needed imminently, *especially* during a crisis that is so deeply and disproportionately affecting low income, people of color, the majority of whom are renters.
I live in District 1 and I strongly urge you to adopt these amendments to protect tenants. Protect our city and our people from slumlords and predatory real estate speculators.
I live in district 3 and I strongly urge you to adopt these amendments to protect tenants. COVID-19 has magnified the vulnerable position that tenants were already occupying in relation to landlords. In addition to extending the moratorium, we need to institute protections like these to ameliorate the power asymmetry in the tenant-landlord relationship.
Please protect renters during a world wide pandemic and a time of national financial collapse. Renters need added security and their protections must to be strengthened during this truly trying time. The one for one tenant replacement is a huge issue for all of us at the Vulcan Lofts. Our building manager and building owners are not honoring this law. We have been attempting to add our new roommates to the lease for over two years and this inaction and disrespect from our landlords has caused us emotional hardship, immeasurable stress and unnecessary financial burden when roommates abruptly move out with no lease legally tying them to give us 30 days notice or to pay a deposit. Our landlord wishes to turn long time tenants into mini landlords and tenants into subtenants. Making us to more work than we should be doing, and causing our roommates to fear they have less protections and rights than a typical tenant. Please help us. Pass all of these tenant protections today.
My name is Beth Gunston and I'm a longtime Oakland resident currently living in D1. As a majority renter city, we need to do all that we can to help keep our neighbors housed. I urge all councilmembers to support these logical expansions of Oakland's renter protections.
My name is Allegra Medina-Smith, I live in district 3 and I support strengthening renters protections, Oakland is full of predatory slumlords and we need more protection against them.
My name is Sara Levine and I live in Adams Point/District 3. Tenant Protections are critical during this moment of global crisis.
I support this legislation fully. Housing affordability is a massive issue in Oakland, and we need strong legislation to protect tenants including limiting the allowable yearly rent increase, and providing protection against harassment from landlords.
My name is Austin Maciey and I've lived in District 6 for the past two years. In the wake of the abysmal response from the federal government regarding COVID-19 it is critical that we take action to protect our citizens. Housing is a human right and at a time like this could mean the difference between life and death. In tandem with reducing the police budget we must protect our tenants rights during this economic and health crisis.
My name is John Flores and I live in the Redwood Heights district of Oakland. I urge you to immediately extend Oakland's eviction moratorium until the local state of emergency is lifted, as experts warn of a tsunami of evictions due to COVID-19. Like the pandemic and police violence, communities of color will bear the brunt of the crisis. Extend the Eviction Moratorium and pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades. Reinvest 50% of OPD funding (~$150 million) into the health and well-being of our neighborhoods, mental health, education, restorative justice, healthcare, and youth programs.
My name is Craig Johnson, I live in Council District 3. I strongly urge you to improve tenant's rights in our city! People should be allowed to *live* in their homes, to move and relocate, and to have reasonable expectations of rent changes met.
My name is Hunter King and I live in district 5. As a city, we cannot afford police violence or the violence of displacement. I urge you to IMMEDIATELY extend Oakland's eviction moratorium until the state of emergency is lifted. Experts warn of a tsunami of evictions due to COVID-19. Like the pandemic and police violence, communities of color will bear the brunt of the crisis. Housing keeps us safe, not the police. City Council must Defund OPD by adopting Kaplan/Bas's cuts of at least an additional 11.4M and reimagine public safety. They must also extend the Eviction Moratorium until at least the end of the local state of emergency and pass the Tenant Protection Upgrades to prevent tenants from being harassed out of their homes now and after the pandemic.
As a resident of District 1, I support these amendments and believe they are vital to helping provide housing security to our citizens.
I am a D1 resident and fully support these upgraded tenant protections. Tenants in my union are currently facing harassment and intimidation for taking advantage of rent deferment under the city's Eviction Moratorium. The ability to replace occupants without penalty is also a key item as people reshuffle their living arrangements to protect residents who are immunocompromised or otherwise at high risk.
I support these tenant protections.
Again, it is critical that we strengthen tenants' protections during this economic and health crisis.
Continued focused on the under served within this attempt to protect tenants would be greatly appreciated. Do not allow them to gentrify and evict our community, especially during this state of emergency!
Thank you
I'm a landlord in D6 and urge the council to show leadership around the housing crisis by passing these upgraded tenant protections. The heart of Oakland is in working class communities of color, largely renters, who are being hit first and worst by Covid-19 and the economic impacts of the pandemic. Stronger tenant protections mean a stronger, safer Oakland.
I support this upgrade of Tenant Protections. (District 4 resident)