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File Number: 15-203 <br />• Streamline the Rent Review Board hearing application process for tenants in <br />circumstances where a landlord submits an improper rent increase notice and <br />subsequently submits a proper rent increase notice. <br />Increase the number of days to schedule a Rent Review Board hearing. Currently, <br />a Board hearing must be scheduled within 50 days of an application. However, 60 days <br />is a more feasible timeframe particularly for 60 day rent increase notices. <br />Refer unresolved cases to the City Manager instead of the City Council. The intent <br />of the Ordinance has always been for a mutual resolution of the rent dispute between <br />the tenant and the landlord. The Ordinance clearly states that the City is not "a party to <br />such an agreement nor shall the City or the Board assume any responsibility for <br />enforcement" of any agreement because the Board is a negotiation assistance body <br />that makes non-binding recommendations on cases. The City Manager is a more <br />appropriate authority for additional review of cases because he or she has more <br />flexibility to assist in the negotiation of unresolved cases. <br />Assess the eligibility of Ratio Utility Billing System (RUBS) charges for review by <br />the Board. RUBS is when landlords subcontract out utility billing to a third party, who <br />tenants then pay their regular utility bills to. The 2015-2023 Housing Element <br />recommends that staff evaluate RUBS as eligible for Board review. <br />Add language to clarify rent increase evaluation criteria for the Board. Additional <br />criteria should be included in the Ordinance that considers the average annual rent <br />increases for longer term tenants, comparable current market rents for similar units, <br />and reasonable increases to bring units closer to market (e.g., capital improvements, <br />deferred maintenance, investor return, etc.) <br />Staff is requesting direction from the City Council regarding the above items and proposed <br />process to obtain feedback and return to the City Council in Fall 2015 with revisions to the <br />Ordinance. <br />Previous Actions <br />• The City Council adopted the Rent Review Program Ordinance in 2001 into the Municipal <br />Code and adopted the program into the Administrative Code in 2002. <br />• Amendments to the Ordinance were approved by the City Council in 2003, 2005 and April <br />6, 2015, the latter to change the landlord representative requirement to allow for two <br />non-resident landlords. <br />ATTACHMENTS <br />• Attachment A - Average Annual Asking Rent & Occupancy Rate for San Leandro from <br />2006-2014 (Source: RealFacts, March 2015) <br />• Attachment B - Rent/Occupancy and Rent Growth/Occupancy Rate Rankings by Cities for <br />4th Quarter 2014 (Source: RealFacts, March 2015) <br />• Attachment C - Rent Review Board (RRB) Hearing Cases (FY2001/2002 - 2014/2015) <br />City of San Leandro Page 5 Printed on 4/14/2015 <br />