Item 26 - Long-Term Implementation Plan for the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Eviction Ordinances

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13 13  Prepare RSO and JCEO informational materials and notices.  Refer tenant legal matters and interpretation questions to community legal aid organizations, as applicable.  Review Fair Return Petitions. A division of work plan should be prepared and provided to a consultant who will be responsible for determining the rental registry fee. Across Sample Jurisdictions, the following services were provided as best practices to effectively implement rent stabilization and just cause eviction ordinances:  Annual Registration – Process registration fees for the rental registry, maintain rental registry, and send annual notices of maximum allowable rent increases.  Compliance – Process notices of violations and complaints, send notices of non- compliance to landlords, and pursue compliance activities as necessary for non- compliant properties.  Evictions/Termination of Tenancy – Review notices of eviction/termination of tenancy to ensure compliance with the JCEO.  Hearings and Appeals – Process hearings for appeals to rent amounts and petitions. This includes communicating with the tenants and landlords involved, collecting supporting documentation, coordinating with the Rental Housing Board, and writing letters of determination.  Housing Counseling/Mediation – Provide tenant and landlord housing counseling and mediation.  Petitions – Receive, review, and analyze data to provide decisions on petitions, subject to appeal.  Public Information – Provide customer service to inquiring tenants and landlords and conduct on-going community outreach and education.  Rental Housing Board Administration – Facilitate regular meetings and complete administrative tasks related to the Rental Housing Board. Each Sample Jurisdiction is unique in how these services are organized amongst various departments, demonstrated in their organizational charts in Exhibit B. In developing this work plan, the City may also consider if it will need the help of outside consultants or organizations to help with items such as mediations, hearing officers, petitions, and tenant/landlord legal advisors. A detailed budget to match the work plan would be the next step in the process to develop a rental registry fee. 5. Conduct a Fee Study Based on the Work Plan and Staffing Needs – Based on the information provided by the Sample Jurisdictions, the overall budget is mostly related to the number of units in the rental registry and services provided. Santa Ana has approximately 36,350 rental units that may be subject to registration in the rental registry. The number of units in the rental registry for all Sample Jurisdictions ranges from 7,700 to 27,484 with an average of 18,906 units. The rental registry compliance rate ranges from 92.5% to 99% with an average of 95%. The overall expenses range from $433,000 to $5.46 million with an average of $3.5 million. The rental registry fee ranges from $0 to $250 with an average of $167. [To avoid skewing the results, RSG removed the $0 fee amount that resulted in a range of $144 to $250 and an average fee of $195.]