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Rental Housing Association <br />of Southern Alameda County <br />1264 A Street <br />Hayward, CA 94541 <br />Tel: (510) 537-0340 <br />Fax: (510) 537-9541 <br /> <br />Tom Liao Deputy Community Development Director City of San Leandro <br />Email: tliao@sanleandro.org <br /> <br />Our Organization is very concerned with Action 56.1C of San Leandro Housing Element Goals. <br /> Quote: "Added action to consider developing a Rental Housing inspection program similar to <br /> Hayward, Berkeley, and Concord". <br /> <br />This is contradictory to Goal 53 of the Housing Element. <br /> Quote:"Encourage private investment including foreign investment, to support housing production". <br /> <br />Implementing an inspection program would be counterproductive to encouraging private investment so far as it <br />creates an unwanted stigma on our Rental Housing stock; thereby giving a totally false impression. <br /> Hayward with its blighted Harder Tennyson District and Concord with its infamous Monument Corridor <br />blighted area and Berkeley with its overcrowding problems, “all experimented with inspection ordinances”. <br /> Despite the fact that these ordinances have been in effect for many years, there is little evidence of <br />improvement. Hayward is a prime example. This City was held to violate tenants rights: "Unwarranted entry <br />and search" which was upheld by the California Appellate Court. <br /> San Leandro does not have blighted areas. By and large our Rental Properties stock is well maintained and our <br />Property Owners and Management Companies do a conscientious job of maintaining and upgrading their <br />properties. Understandably, as in any City, there is the odd exception. But, there are Health and Safety Laws <br />already on the books to address such exceptions. Others Cities take the responsibility to handle these issues on <br />a “complaint driven basis”. <br /> <br />The Negatives to our City enacting such an ordinance, are many. <br /> <br />The stigma, as mentioned, causes Housing Investment monies to be diverted to other Cities. This we can't <br />afford to let happen in San Leandro. <br /> The good conscientious Landlord becomes the victim. All will agree that San Leandro Landlords generally do a <br />commendable job of maintaining their properties. With Inspection Ordinances, the conscientious Landlord <br />winds up paying though he/she receives NO benefits. <br /> Historically, these Inspection Ordinances keep growing once enacted and becoming more intrusive. They <br />have the negative effect, to the City, of causing the conscientious Landlords to sell and to invest on other areas <br />to avoid such annoyances. <br /> Our Organization has always been open to working with San Leandro City Staff. We would welcome the <br />opportunity to talk to whoever suggested this Inspection Ordinance and to review any statistics of deferred <br />maintenance. Through peer pressure, we could make a significant difference. <br /> <br /> <br />