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File Number: 15-582 <br />notice, then the rent increase is nullified until the landlord properly re -notices. The <br />Rent Review Board notice along with the Ordinance and frequently asked questions <br />(FAQ) are available on the City website in English, Spanish and Chinese. <br />To be eligible for a Rent Review Board hearing, a rent increase must meet one of the <br />following thresholds: 1) over 10% of the existing rent, 2) over $75, or 3) two rent <br />increases within a 12 -month period. These three criteria are only eligibility criteria to <br />qualify for a Board hearing, and the Board may recommend upholding the proposed <br />rent increase regardless of the amount. <br />If an applicant is eligible for a Board hearing, staff sends a letter to the tenant and <br />landlord with the hearing date and location. In addition, the letter encourages both <br />parties to continue working together towards a mutually acceptable solution prior to the <br />hearing. Historically, most cases have been mutually resolved just prior to the start of <br />the hearing and often through the encouragement of RHA, ECHO Housing, and City <br />staff. From July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015, of the 65 rent review requests <br />received, 17 (26%) were settled without a hearing while 13 of 43 (30%) hearings <br />scheduled were settled prior to a hearing. Staff also prepares an agenda packet, <br />including staff report, for distribution to the Board, and publicly notices the hearing as <br />required under the Ordinance. The Brown Act applies to Rent Review Board hearings. <br />• During the hearing, the Board reviews presentations from the landlord and tenant and <br />then makes a recommendation to the parties for the resolution of their dispute. The <br />Board, as stated in the Ordinance, uses a wide range of criteria in its review such as <br />economic hardship, frequency and amount of prior rent increases, landlord's mortgage <br />payments and ownership/maintenance costs including water and garbage, and the <br />landlord's reasonable rate of return. <br />• The Board may continue the hearing for up to one month or request the City Council <br />review the rent dispute after a party requests that the Board forward the dispute for <br />further consideration by the City Council. <br />If the landlord fails to appear at the hearing without good cause, then the rent increase <br />is voided. If the tenant fails to appear without good cause, then the tenant's case is <br />dismissed. <br />• City staff annually prepares a report to the Board and City Council to review current <br />rental housing and Rent Review Program trends and to assess the effectiveness of the <br />program. <br />Under the Ordinance, City Housing staff serves as the secretary to the Rent Review Board. <br />When the City's Redevelopment Agency was eliminated in February 2012, , the capacity to <br />administer the Rent Review Program was significantly diminished. Since FY 2013-14, the City <br />has contracted with ECHO Housing to assist with the administration of the Rent Review <br />Program, including the intake of applicants and rental housing counseling/advice as needed. <br />Current Rental Market in San Leandro <br />City of San Leandro Page 2 Printed on 1211/2015 <br />