Sunnyvale City Council
April 25, 2023

Residential Tenant Protection Program
Relocation Assistance and Right to Lease
Study Issue
Jenny Carloni
Housing Officer
City Council, April 25, 2023
2City of Sunnyvale Tenant Protections - 2023
Background
Residential Tenant Protection Program
• Right to Lease Ordinance
•Tier 2 Housing Strategy & 2020 Study
Issue
• Relocation Assistance Requirement
•Tier 1 Housing Strategy
Both items merged = Residential Tenant
Protection Program Ordinance
3City of Sunnyvale Tenant Protections - 2023
AB 1482
Tenant Protections – Current State Law
• Civil Code section 1946.2
 Various exemptions
• No-fault just cause evictions:
 Compliance with a government order/local
ordinance
 Removal of unit from the marketplace
 Intent to demolish or substantially remodel the
unit
 Intent to occupy the residential property or for
specified family members of the landlord
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Continued
Tenant Protections – Current State Law
• AB 1482 Provisions:
Relocation amount: 1 month @ current rent
Does not apply to units constructed within
the last 15 years (rolling)
• Local jurisdictions with various tenant
protections:
Palo Alto, Mountain View, Milpitas, Los
Gatos, Concord, Fremont, Redwood City
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Right to Lease
• No state law
• Provides stability and clarity to tenants
• Most property owners prefer 12-month leases
• Local jurisdictions with Right to Lease
protections:
Menlo Park
Concord
Redwood City
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Outreach
Residential Tenant Protection Program Creation
Community
Meetings
Surveys Housing and
Human
Services
Commission
Study Session
7City of Sunnyvale Tenant Protections - 2023
Proposed Ordinance
Residential Tenant Protection Program
Ordinance
• Differs from AB 1482:
For Units subject to the ordinance
•Rental units completed within the last 15
years subject to the City’s Tenant Protections
Ordinance
•Relocation assistance equal to TWO
months of rent
8City of Sunnyvale Tenant Protections - 2023
Proposed Ordinance Cont’d
Residential Tenant Protection Program
Ordinance
• Landlords shall offer a 1-year lease to all
new tenants.
If tenant rejects, landlord may offer a
shorter-term lease.
• Tenants with month-to-month leases in
place prior to the effective date may
request 1-year lease from landlord.
• Leases offered by landlords for a 1-year
term shall be substantially similar to all
shorter-term lease offerings
9City of Sunnyvale Tenant Protections - 2023
Housing and Human Services Commission
March 22, 2023
Commission Recommendations
• Relocation should apply only to persons on lease;
• Relocation shall be one month rent; and
• Language asserting that relocation assistance
would not vary based on income of the tenant(s).
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Planning Commission
April 10, 2023
Commission Recommendations
• If feasible, lease materials related to the
proposed ordinance should be made available in
Spanish; and
• Tenant, who is evicted for no-fault just cause, can
waive relocation assistance in exchange for other
accommodations, and any arrangement with
landlord must be in writing and signed by the
parties.
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Staff Recommendation
Recommendation
• Introduce an Ordinance (Attachment 6) to:
 Add Chapter 19.71 (Residential Tenant Protections
Ordinance)
to Title 19 (“Zoning”) of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code
creating a Residential Tenant Protections Programs