Renter Protection Policy Development

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Background
To support, protect and help stabilize tenants in Palo Alto, staff have been researching policies and programs to propose to the City Council. In 2017, a
Colleagues’ Memorandum highlighted the importance of protecting renters and continuing to create renter protection policies that help keep people housed. The subsequent eviction of many tenants when a downtown building converted to a hotel further heightened the need for renter protections and led to Council action. Subsequent discussions and
Colleagues' Memorandum followed in 2018, emphasizing Council’s desire to work on the issues of housing affordability through renter protections.
To support the pursuit of renter protection policies and respond to the memoranda, the City applied for and was awarded a “Challenge Grant” from the Partnership for the Bay’s Future. Through the Challenge Grant, the City was able to create a profile of Palo Alto renters and research renter protection policies that would benefit Palo Altans.
Palo Alto had significant renter protection policy discussions in 2020 and 2021. These discussions culminated in City Council action on November 29, 2021 for staff to advance a suite of additional renter protection policies. These policies would be additional to those that were already in the Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) for many years, such as the rental housing stabilization policies in PAMC Section 9.68 and the mandatory landlord/tenant dispute requirements in PAMC Section 9.72.
Current Activities
City staff is currently working on the renter protection policies moved and approved by City Council on November 29, 2021, including the Council requested Rental Registry Program (RRP), an eviction reduction ordinance, a security deposit limit ordinance, and other Council requested items.
Request for Information - Renter and Landlord Survey - Fall 2022/Winter 2023
The City is asking for participation in a short survey for renters and landlords/property managers in Palo Alto. We anticipate that the survey will take you 5 minutes or less to complete. Your responses will help City staff respond to City Council-requested renter policy development initiatives discussed on this webpage. Please click the button below to access the City of Palo Alto Renter and Landlord Survey for Fall 2022/Winter 2023.
Take the Survey
Rental Registry Program (RRP)
The City Council directed the development of a registry of rental units in the City for a number of reasons, including in support of the opportunity to make ongoing data-informed rental policy decisions. Implementation of a RRP is a means by which to learn about the Palo Alto rental landscape as it is experienced by renters and rental unit property owners/managers. The information collected by the RRP is more distinct from the aggregated information already available from the Decennial Census and American Community Survey (ACS). Learning more specific rental unit information, such as rents and tenancy duration, would help the City tailor rental policies to address the diverse needs of existing and future Palo Alto renters and rental unit property owners/managers. Furthermore, the RRP would collect information on the implementation of existing renter protections instituted by the state and City. It would be the responsibility of rental unit property owners/managers to complete the registry for their rental units.
Check back here for announcements of community meetings and public hearings.
Upcoming Public Meetings and Events
Community Meeting - Rental Registry Program (RRP)
Do you own, manage, or rent a rental unit in Palo Alto? The City is hosting a Community Meeting on Thursday, March 30 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. to share information about a proposed Rental Registry Program (RRP) and receive feedback for implementing the RRP. Learn about the City’s workplan to adopt and implement the program, an example of a registry form, and participate in a Question & Answer session. This Community Meeting is scheduled before taking the draft RRP ordinance to the Human Relations Commission (HRC), Policy & Services Committee (P&S), and the Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC).
VIRTUAL PARTICIPATION
Zoom Information
https://cityofpaloalto.zoom.us/j/87127763497
Meeting ID: 871 2776 3497
Phone: (669) 900 6833
Planning & Transportation Commission Meeting - Rental Registry Program (RRP)
Next Meeting: Anticipated Spring 2023
Human Relations Commission Meeting - Rental Registry Program (RRP)
Next Meeting: Anticipated Spring 2023
Policy & Services Committee Meeting - Rental Registry Program (RRP)
Next Meeting: Anticipated Summer 2023
Past Renter Protection Related Public Meetings and Events
City Council Agendas and Minutes
Date |
Agenda and Packet |
Minutes |
Video |
February 14, 2022
Consent Calendar Item: Adoption of Regular Ordinance Amending Tenant Relocation Assistance for No-Fault Evictions by Reducing the Threshold for Applicability from 50 Units to 10 Units or a Lower Threshold (Council Action-2nd Reading) |
Agenda Packet |
Minutes |
Video |
January 31, 2022
Action Item: Adoption of Emergency Ordinance and Regular Ordinance Amending Tenant Relocation Assistance for No-Fault Evictions by Reducing the Threshold for Applicability from 50 Units to 10 Units or a Lower Threshold (Council Discussion and Action) |
Agenda Packet |
Minutes |
Video |
November 29, 2021
Action Item: Review and Recommend Renter Protection Policies for Development and Implementation (Council Discussion and Action)
|
Agenda Packet |
Minutes |
Video |
November 15, 2021
Review and Recommend Renter Protection Policies for Development and Implementation (Council Discussion and Item Continued to November 29, 2021)
|
Agenda Packet |
Minutes |
Video |
November 8, 2021
Action Item: Review and Recommend Renter Protection Policies for Development and Implementation (Council Discussion and Item Continued to November 15, 2021)
|
Revised Agenda Packet |
Minutes |
Video |
Policy & Services Committee Agendas and Minutes
Planning and Transportation Commission Agendas and Minutes
Tenant Relocation Assistance Municipal Code Requirements and Yearly Amounts
Background
At its November 29, 2021 meeting, City Council moved for staff to prepare a Palo Alto Municipal Code (PAMC) ordinance amendment to extend existing tenant relocation assistance for no fault evictions to more properties in Palo Alto, including properties with 10 rental units or more. Staff brought the draft ordinance amendment to the Planning & Transportation Commission on January 26, 2020. Staff then returned to City Council on January 31, 2022 and February 14, 2022 for a first and second reading of the ordinance amendment, respectively. Tenant relocation assistance for no fault evictions for properties with 10 rental units or more came into effect immediately on January 31, 2022 through Emergency Ordinance No. 5543(PDF, 529KB). Tenant relocation assistance remains in effect through Ordinance No. 5544(PDF, 533KB) and is codified in PAMC Section 9.68.035.
Current Tenant Relocation Assistance Amounts
The amount of tenant relocation assistance for no fault evictions is adjusted July 1 of each year. Amounts also range by the number of bedrooms in a rental unit. An additional amount is applicable if a rental unit is occupied by a low-income household, someone who is 60 years of age or older, someone who is disabled, and/or someone that is a minor. When established in 2018, the lowest amount of tenant relocation assistance was $7,000 for a 0 bedroom/studio rental unit and the amount for a 3 or more bedroom rental unit was $17,000. The assistance amounts have increased in subsequent years.
The Tenant Relocation Assistance Calculations sheet(PDF, 151KB) contains the current tenant relocation assistance amounts that are applicable as of July 1, 2022. The tenant relocation assistance amounts that will be applicable as of July 1, 2023 will soon be released.
FAQs
Who are Palo Alto Renters?
- 46% of Palo Alto's housing stock is occupied by renters. That's a big percentage of Palo Alto!
What are Renter Protections?
- "Renter protections" refers to renters being protected from losing their homes due to eviction. To read more about them, check out this interesting guide that the state of California produced entitled Tenant Protection Guidelines.
What resources currently exist for renters?
Why is protecting renters important?
- Renters occupy half of the housing in Palo Alto! Also, evictions are one of the leading causes of poverty and homelessness. If we create rules for when a household can be evicted, we help vulnerable people.