Title:
Title
(Pass for Publication) Ordinance Adding Chapter 5.156 to the Sacramento City Code Relating to a Residential Rental Mediation Program
End
FileID
File ID: 2019-00181
Location
Location: Citywide
Recommendation:
Recommendation
1) Review an Ordinance adding Chapter 5.156 to the Sacramento City Code relating to establishing a Residential Rental Mediation Program; and 2) pass for publication the ordinance title as required by Sacramento Charter section 32(c) for consideration on April 23, 2019.
Contact: Carl Simpson, Code and Housing Enforcement Chief, (916) 808-8183, Community Development Department
Body
Presenter: None
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Ordinance Summary
3-Ordinance
Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: Over the past year, the City Council has sought to address significant increases in rent levels. Sacramento is one of the fastest growing cities in the state and construction of new rental units has not kept pace with the demand. In 2017, the median rent increased by 8.2%, the highest in the nation for a metropolitan area. Over 50% of renters pay more than 30% of their income on housing. When renters are displaced due to excessive rent increases, studies show a corresponding increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness. At the same time, landlords have increasing costs to maintain, operate, and develop rental units.
To resolve landlord and tenant disputes related to rent increases, a Residential Rental Mediation Program is proposed. The program would require landlords to participate in a mediation process with their tenants if they increase rent by more than 6% over a 12-month period. The mediation process would involve initial conciliation by phone and then in-person mediation. It is expected that the mediator would ask landlords to address why the rent needs to be increased more than 6% and tenants could negotiate for a lower rent increase. Any changes in the rent increase would be subject to a mutua...
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