Since the Apartment Rent Ordinance and Regulations were updated last year, staff and hearing officers have incorporated stakeholder feedback to improve customer service and processes related to the program.
The amendments to the ARO Regulations include:
Clarification of Timelines in the Petition Process: For Incomplete Petitions in Section 5.03.1.b, the petitioner now has 30 days (instead of ten days) to complete the petition or otherwise be considered withdrawn. The responding party (tenant or landlord) will now have 14 days (instead of 30 days) from the mailing of the notice that a complete petition was received. This change was recommended by stakeholders including the Hearing Officers, landlords, and tenants.
Clarifications to the Hearing Process under Chapter 6 and 7: Under these chapters, changes were made to the following: 1) the notice and timing of a hearing (7.11.1); 2) what an Administration Decision should include (6.03); 3) the open session requirement for voluntary mediation hearings (7.04.1 and 7.04.4); 4) when a claim for violating a Voluntary Agreement may be filed (7.04.6); 5) the timeframe for Mediator/Hearing Officer's decisions following an unresolved mediation hearing (7.04.7); 6) the three types of Ch. 7 hearings (7.05-7.05.3); and 7) what statutes constitute Housing Code Violations (7.09).
City Will Hold the Official Hearing Record: Under Section 5.06, the City will be responsible for retaining the official hearing records after the proceedings under any Chapter in the Regulations.
For more information, please contact Rachel VanderVeen at (408) 535-8231 or rachel.vanderveen@sanjoseca.gov
In addition, a series of workshops will be held in July regarding the recent changes to the Rent Stabilization Program ordinances.
Wednesday - July 11, 2018
10:00 a.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Library
150 E. San Fernando St., Room 255
San José, CA 95113
Thursday - July 19, 2018
6:30 p.m.
Roosevelt Community Center
901 E. Santa Clara St., Multipurpose Room
San José, CA 95116
Thursday - July 26, 2018
6:30 p.m.
Cypress Community Center
403 Cypress Ave., Multipurpose Room
San José, CA 95117