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Community Development Agency
Sandra Rivera, Agency Director

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Rent Mediation Services

To: Owners of Residential Rental Properties in Unincorporated Alameda County

On February 8, 2003, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance Number 0-2004-48, the Mandatory Notification of Rent Mediation Services Ordinance. This ordinance requires owners of residential rental properties of three or more units in Unincorporated Alameda County to include specified language on the availability of rent mediation services on rent increase notices to tenants.

The ordinance becomes effective July 1, 2004. If, after that date, the required notification language is not included on rent increase notices, the rent increases "shall be void, and no Landlord may take any action to enforce such an invalid Rent Increase. Any Rent Increase in violation of this Chapter shall operate as a complete defense to an unlawful detainer action based on failure to pay any illegal Rent Increase. Any Tenant required to pay an illegal Rent Increase may recover all illegal Rent Increase amounts actually paid by the Tenant."[Section 3.68.110 of the Ordinance Code of the County of Alameda].

The ordinance is applicable to "any housing unit offered for rent or lease in the Unincorporated County, provided that such housing unit is on a property that contains three or more housing units, and mobile homes. Mobile homes are subject to this Chapter only if a tenant rents the mobile housing unit itself." [ Section 3.68.020 (n) ]

A copy of the entire text of the ordinance: library.municode.com/ca/alameda_county

The required language section, along with the sections of the ordinance related to notice requirements are located in 'Section 3.68.30, NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF RENT REVIEW AND MEDIATION REQUIRED'; Section 3.68.040, CONTENTS OF NOTICE' and 'Section 3.68.50, TEXT OF NOTICE'.

If you have questions, please contact:

Rent Review Program
ECHO Housing
(510) 581-9380
[email protected]
http://www.echofairhousing.org/tenantlandlord-services.html