Several months after imposing stricter rent control in San Jose, the city is holding a series of hearings on further changes to its rent ordinance.
In May, the City Council lowered the maximum annual rent increase on rent controlled units from 8 percent to 5 percent, a change that took effect the following month. The council also greenlighted further changes to its rent ordinance and directed the Housing Department to incorporate them into a draft ordinance.
The city is now holding a series of public meetings on those recommended changes. These hearings offer the city’s housing providers an opportunity to speak up before these changes are formally adopted and implemented.
Some of the proposed provisions:
- Rent Registry: Rental owners will need to register their rent-controlled units with the city and may need to inform the city on who lives in them, the size of the unit and the rent being charged.
- Capital Expense Pass Through: With the debt service pass through eliminated, the capital expense pass through is the only way to recover capital investment costs that the annual rent increase does not cover. This Council expressed their desire to have a simple and predictable process.
- Anti-Retaliation Protection Ordinance (ARPO): If adopted, the ARPO would provide a tool for tenants to file code enforcement violations without fear of retaliation. If the owner isn’t responsive, the tenant may notify the city and provide evidence that they first sought a resolution with the owner. If the city substantiates the violation, the owner will be required to correct the violation within a specific period. Additionally, the owner will be limited to only terminating a tenancy if the owner can show proof the resident violated the rental agreement.