Earlier this year, City staff presented two informational reports (on February 4 and May 6, 2019 to be exact) to the City Council regarding Mandatory Mediation and Just Cause evictions. Mediation is a process in which a neutral third party facilitates the negotiation of a mutually acceptable resolution to a dispute between a landlord and a tenant. With Mandatory Mediation, if a triggering event occurs (such as a rent increase of a certain percentage), then the impacted tenant is able to request mediation services. Just Cause policies are intended to provide stability for households who rent by regulating the grounds for eviction, typically by prohibiting termination of a residential tenancy without expressly stating the reason. These policies serve to promote greater awareness of the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants and provide a clear and transparent process for evictions and lease terminations, particularly when rental agreements do not exist or lack specificity. Now that the City Council and community members alike have had an opportunity to weigh in on proposed Mandatory Mediation and Just Cause policies, the City Council will, at Monday’s meeting, officially consider enacting rental housing ordinances.
For more information, read the staff report.