The Concord City Council on Wednesday night will consider recommendations from a council committee for items that should be included in future rent control and tenant protection policies.
The Committee on Rental Housing has made the following recommendations to the City Council – modification of the city’s Residential Rent Review Program; extending property owner notice requirement for rent increases; and requiring property owners to offer leases of at least one year.
Mayor Carlyn Obringer, who is on the committee along with councilman Dominic Aliono, also supports requiring relocation assistance for tenants, and Aliano recommends establishing a “just cause” eviction ordinance.
The issue has been on the radar in Concord since mid-2016, when several public meetings about the need for rent stabilization and tenant protections – largely from the tenants’ point of view. In June 2017, the
Concord City Council approved the Residential Rent Review Program to become part of city municipal code.
Nevertheless, community concern about raising rents has not let up since then. The roots of the problem extend far beyond Concord; the robust Bay Area economy since 2012 has created an overwhelming demand for housing
regionally. New-home construction has not kept pace with demand, and that means rising home prices and higher rents.
This past January, the City Council established an Ad-Hoc Committee on Rental Housing, to discuss and review state and local requirements regarding tenant/landlord responsibilities, existing housing needs within Concord. The committee met several times with tenant advocates, property owners, technical experts and city staff engaged in rental housing issues to help identify possible solutions to this ongoing problem.
And in May, more than 70 people addressed the committee at a community meeting. Concerns both of rental tenants and of property owners were expressed.
The goal is for any new ordinance that includes any of the above recommendations to be designed for “full cost recovery,” this minimizing costs, according to a city staff report.
Wednesday’s council meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 1950 Parkside Drive.
20 comments
Rents will have to increase in order to pay for the end of lease relocation cost. I think this will also end private rentals, only corporations will be able to afford the new rental rules.
The “overwhelming demand” stems from there being toooo many people here, but you keep encouraging more to come from everywhere, have more babies, more public assistance (Thanks, over-worked taxpayers!) more crime, more $$$ into police pockets, more crappy roads – some of the worst in the country, etc., etc….
Vote them out, or expect things to continue downhill. Oh, you don’t take the time to vote? If this were my forum you wouldn’t be aloud to comment or respond.
The Bay Area has become a worldwide destination area not only because of jobs but also great weather and limited natural disasters. You assume these newbies are immigrants with no skills when actuality we added 51,000 jobs in the 9 Bay Area counties last year alone. Even at 20,000 new jobs for the past 7 years we have over 140,000 new jobs for a region that does not want to build more housing.
It’s inevitable that we will become a medium/high density society unless Tech, BioTech, Pharma and Gene Therapy all decide to leave the area but that sill leaves tourism.
The meeting is on Wednesday (the 19th), instead of Tuesday.
Pat is right, too many people. Meanwhile I’m being gouged for utilities, paying more than homeowners I know. Apartment owners shouldn’t make a profit on utilities.
Greed never stops.
@Mutts
Home and property owners are able to charge whatever they like for rent or lease. Why should I be told to by anyone how much I should charge. I’m sorry your rent is much as a mortgage but you should have been smarter and invested into your own home instead of throwing away money every month. Life isn’t fair, do something about it and stop worrying about the next handout.
Well said TraumaRX. And everyone shouldn’t get a trophy.
Everyone should be able to have a place to stay. You can keep that trophy clayden
Sure they do. Liability, court costs when sued (remember side walk small example of many liabilities that are your problem). You would think 1st and foremost, property value? Maintain to keep value? Otherwise you have POS property and slum lord. Won’t last long suffer grief and legal expenses and action. I own property I rent out. I keep it in shape.
This city council would do itself a lot better if it concentrated on infrastructure and let the finances and politics to the market.
This council has failed to supply even the most basic of infrastructure to the City.
If they can’t even keep roads and sidewalks in repair, how can they possibly be trusted with anything else?
I wouldn’t trust any of them to mow my lawn.
Who regulates mobile home parks? I’m new here and was looking into purchasing a Mobile home. The price of the MH was reasonable, but was shocked that the space rental is $1100 per month plus another $100+ for water/trash. This was at a senior complex!
The State of California….
Let me get this straight, the City of Concord can’t even provide such a basic service as filling potholes; yet they want to dive Berkeley deep into controlling the rental market?
LMAO! This has disaster written all over it.
The market will bear what it will bear….
As a renter, I don’t agree with rent control. I work in San Ramon and live in Concord. I would like to live closer to San Ramon, but I can’t afford it. So I live where I can afford.
I would prefer to see the city work with landlords to advocate for fair treatment of tenants on a case by case basis, rather than punishing good landlords with rent caps and onerous “just cause” restrictions.
Berkeley-style rent control and “just cause” reduces housing supply over the long term and harms the quality of the remaining rental housing stock. This hurts tenants. Landlords unlucky enough to own property which becomes subject to rent control lose huge amounts of property value – and don’t receive a dime of compensation from the city.
So how can we help tenants without making things worse? I would recommend four specific changes to help level the playing field between tenants and landlords:
1) Increase the statutory notice from 60 to 90 days for evictions of tenants who have not violated the terms of their lease.
2) Limit landlords to just one rent increase per year.
3) Require 90 days notice for any rent increase above 10%.
4) Require signs (English and Spanish) in a common area of the apartment building explaining tenants rights and expectations including an anonymous city hotline to report violations.
These changes would have minimal impact on good landlords, would stop bait and switch, and would give good tenants more time to find a new place if the rents got to high.
Berkeley is used as a boogie-man term in Concord. If there’s something someone in Concord is against, they say “Berkeley” to make it seem scary. Berkeley has been seeing all sorts of new construction, so it is demonstrably false to say that the rent control there has somehow prevented new housing supply. Besides, the rent control ordinance only applies to older units, not new housing.
As an owner of two rental houses in Berkeley let me say this. These are older houses. The rent control laws are not really a problem. I treat my tenants right, like fixing stuff and protecting their privacy and they reward me back with good behavior and paying on time. I adjust the rent as needed based on the rules. There’s no huge downside to having the rules laid out so we all can follow them.
Expecting private property owners, who have no control over operating costs, to subsidize housing for low-income renters, some of whom are illegal aliens, never ends well. The city would be better off making some sort of Section 8 arrangement with landlords. Cover the difference between market-rate and the low-income rates, and reimburse them for damage and skipping out on the rent. And individual renters who abuse the program would be prevented from making use of the program in the future.
Rent control and draconian regulations will cause builders to build Condos or build elsewhere. Now, Concord could build housing itself, and then follow its own regulations…but you know they could never afford to take THAT risk.
Why do you say we have no control over operating costs? Do you have experience in this area?
I was involved in maintenance for +30 years professionally, and now through volunteer work. PGE, CCWD, Insurance, property taxes are all controlled by other people and aren’t optional. Repair/remodel costs are very high right now and it is difficult to get bids and get work done quickly. Usually a unit is vacant for a month between tenants to clean and repair. Carpet ‘might’ last 10 years and paint 5 years if you are lucky. And in a tight labor market, managers are more expensive as well. Some complexes will simply skip repairs and get dumpy in order to have a decent return on investment, but that bites you sooner or later.
Does this answer your question?
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