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File Number: 14-398 <br />outsourced the Rent Review Program’s administration to ECHO Housing. ECHO Housing staff <br />was instrumental in processing the renters’ rent review request applications, communicating <br />with the landlords to obtain their rent review response forms, facilitating the Rent Review <br />Board hearings, and educating both tenants and landlords about the City’s Rent Review <br />Ordinance. The City has contracted with ECHO Housing to administer the Rent Review <br />Program through fiscal year 2014-2015 as part of the current two-year budget. <br />Summary of Facts <br />From July 2013 through June 2014, there were 37 tenant and 34 landlord inquiries for a total <br />of 71 inquiries addressed by staff and ECHO Housing. See attached Landlord and Tenant <br />Inquiries logs. <br />Two cases were heard by the Rent Review Board this year. The Board upheld the rent <br />increase in one case, while the other case was mutually resolved prior to a scheduled <br />Continuance Hearing. <br />A summary of the remaining cases follows: <br />·One case was dismissed due to legal matters in Civil Court. <br />·Three cases involved the landlords agreeing to properly re-notice their respective <br />tenants. <br />·Seven cases involved the landlords agreeing to reduce the rent increase amount to <br />close and resolve the cases rather than move forward with a rent review hearing. <br />·One case was mutually resolved prior to the scheduled hearing taking place. <br />Assessing the Effectiveness of the Rent Review Program <br />As part of the Rent Review Program Ordinance, the Board must assess the program’s <br />effectiveness each year. The current members of the Rent Review Board recommended <br />evaluation of the City's Rent Review Board Ordinance specifically in regards to: <br />1)Including Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) charges as a form of a rent increase. <br />RUBS are a recent trend whereby landlords subcontract out utility charges to a third <br />party. When this occurs, utilities are no longer in one's rental charge, and a fee for <br />utilities must be paid to a third party. Because the utility payment is no longer required <br />to be paid by the tenant to the landlord, it is ineligible for consideration as a part of a <br />rent increase. <br />City staff recommends the issue above be addressed under the current update to the City’s <br />Housing Element. <br />Previous Actions <br />The Rent Review Ordinance was adopted April 2001. The Municipal Code was amended in <br />March 2002, October 2003, and July 2005. <br />Board/Commission Review and Actions <br />On July 29, 2014, the Rent Review Board unanimously approved the Annual Rent Review <br />Program Evaluation and instructed City staff to forward the evaluation to City Council for <br />review and approval. <br />Page 2 City of San Leandro Printed on 9/30/2014