Measure X: Measure X - City Of Berkeley - Rent Ordinance Amendment Measure

In plain language

Measure X changes Berkeley's rent control law. A YES vote would apply rent control to more rental units. This includes units that were not exempt when a tenant first moved in. It would let fees be lowered or waived for subsidized units owned by nonprofits. It would change the date landlords must register each year. It would cap yearly rent increases at ten percent. It would also let tenants form associations in smaller rental properties. A NO vote would keep the current rent rules in place.

Impartial analysis

This measure was placed on the ballot by the City Council of the City of Berkeley. If approved, the measure would amend the Rent Stabilization and Eviction for Just Cause Ordinance (the “Ordinance”) by: 1. Providing that certain exemptions from rent control and just-cause eviction, including the exemptions for certain Accessory Dwelling Units and certain owner- occupied duplexes, would apply only if the unit was exempt when the current tenancy began. If the measure is approved, a tenant who first moved into a unit that was not exempt would be covered under the Ordinance even if the unit would otherwise qualify for an exemption at a later date during the tenancy. 2. Prohibiting property owners from raising the lawful periodic rent by more than 10% in a one-year period. 3. Allowing the Rent Stabilization Board (the “Board”) to adopt regulations to waive or reduce fees for government-subsidized rental units owned, leased or controlled by nonprofit organizations. 4. Allowing, to the extent permitted by state and local law, owners of single-family homes or new construction buildings to voluntarily agree to have their properties subject to the Ordinance in exchange for financial assistance. 5. Lowering from ten to five the number of rental units on a property for the tenants who live at that property to be eligible to form a tenant association. This change would apply to properties that are not managed by a property management company. 6. Providing that, once established, a tenant association in a property managed by a property management company remains authorized under the Ordinance even if the company later ceases to manage the rental units. 7. Clarifying that a property owner’s failure to confer in good faith with a tenant association may support a petition for a rent reduction. 8. Removing the requirement for owners of partially covered rental units to re-register units with the Board within fifteen days of the commencement of a new tenancy. 9. Making certain administrative changes, including providing for paperless billing, clarifying the process for depositing and distributing relocation assistance payments during owner move-in evictions, and changing the annual registration fee deadline from July 1 to September 30 of each year. The measure would also make various non-substantive changes such as improving readability, removing outdated language and fixing typographical errors. The measure will be adopted if approved by a simple majority of voters. /s/ Farimah Faiz Brown Berkeley City Attorney

Official ballot arguments

Filed for the official voter guide by each side, printed as submitted.

The official arguments will appear here once both sides’ arguments are on file.