Rent Increase
At their meeting on June 17, 2020, the Rent Board adopted Regulation 608, establishing the 2020 Annual General Adjustment (AGA) rent increase for Controlled Rental Units in the amount of 2.9%. Rent increases for the 2020 Annual General Adjustment may not take effect prior to September 1, 2020.
The 2020 AGA may only be applied to tenancies in effect prior to September 1, 2019, and must comply with the COVID-19 Emergency Order prohibiting certain types of evictions as well as rent increases through July 15, 2020, or any extension of the Supplemental Order.
In addition, to apply the 2020 Annual General Adjustment rent increase of up to 2.9%, Landlords must comply with State law requirements and file a notice of rent increase with the Rent Board within ten (10) business days after service on the Tenant in accordance with Regulation 603.
FILE A NOTICE OF RENT INCREASE WITH THE RENT BOARD
Maximum Allowable Rent Calculator and Rent Increase Template
The Maximum Allowable Rent Calculator is a resource for Tenants and Landlords to determine the Maximum Allowable Rent for a Controlled Rental Unit in the City of Richmond. For assistance, please contact the Rent Program office, located on the second floor of 440 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, CA 94804, or call (510) 234-RENT (7368) to speak with a Rent Program Services Analyst.
| Fillable Forms (for completion and auto-calculation online): | Printable Forms (for manual calculation and completion on paper): |
|---|---|
| Rent Increase Template (includes the Maximum Allowable Rent Calculator on reverse) | Rent Increase Template (includes the Maximum Allowable Rent Calculator on reverse) |
| Maximum Allowable Rent Calculator ONLY | Maximum Allowable Rent Calculator ONLY |
| Rent Program Brochure (must be included with each notice of rent increase) | Rent Program Brochure (must be included with each notice of rent increase) |
Annual General Adjustment Rent Increases 2016-2020
| Year | Allowable Rent Increase | Applies to Tenants Who Moved In BEFORE: |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 3.0% | September 1, 2015 (does not apply to rent increase notices dated on or before June 21, 2017) |
| 2017 | 3.4% | September 1, 2016 |
| 2018 | 3.6% | September 1, 2017 |
| 2019 | 3.5% | September 1, 2018 |
| 2020 | 2.9% | September 1, 2019 |
Rent Increase Procedure
- Create and/or Sign In to your City of Richmond web account: Sign in or Create a Web Account.
You must confirm your account before you will receive any emails. You will have to confirm the account in your email if you are creating one for the first time. If you haven’t received an email shortly, please check your junk or SPAM folder.
- Complete a Property Enrollment form for each property with at least one Rental Unit, and Tenancy Registration forms for all tenancies in a Controlled Rental Unit (if required). For more information about Property Enrollment and Tenancy Registration, please visit the Enrollment and Registration webpage.
- Mail or deliver a written Tenant Notification of Rent Increase to the tenant. A sample template is available for your use; Landlords may use their own notice as long as it includes the information covered in the template. The tenant must be given at least 30 days notice (5 additional days must be added if mailed). A copy of the Richmond Rent Program Brochure must be included: Richmond Rent Program Brochure.
- Within ten (10) business days after service on the Tenant, complete the Notification of Rent Increase form online to file notice with the Rent Board. A Proof of Service with time and date of service must be included with the notice filed with the Rent Board. Alternatively, for properties with five (5) units or fewer, a copy of the notice of rent increase and proof of service may be filed by mailing a hard copy to the City of Richmond Rent Program, 440 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 200, Richmond, CA 94804. Other such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
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Rent Board Approves New Policy on Excess Rent Refunds
On June 19, 2019, the Rent Board rescinded Subsection (C) of Regulation 605, eliminating the requirement for Landlords to return excess rent via a cashier’s check with 10 days. In lieu of this requirement, and upon agreement of the Tenant, excess rent may be returned to the Tenant through the execution of a repayment agreement between the Tenant and Landlord, a reduction of Tenant’s rent until the amount is satisfied, the Landlord's partial payment of the amount owed combined with a reduction in rent, or other calculable forms of repayment. Under Section 11.100.100 of the Richmond Municipal Code, Tenants may not waive any provisions of the Rent Ordinance, which means that under any repayment plan, Tenants cannot waive or modify the amount of excess rent owed. The Tenant may only agree to modify the method and form of repayment. As is prudent practice, Landlords and Tenants are encouraged to document any agreement in writing and may request mediation through the Rent Program to facilitate an excess rent repayment agreement. Tenants who choose not to agree to a repayment plan, or whose Landlord fails to adhere to a previously agreed upon repayment plan, may file an Excess Rent petition with the Rent Program to compel the Landlord to refund any excess rent owed.
Additional Information
TENANT EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
NOTICE FILING REQUIREMENTS
All Landlords are required to file a copy of all rental increase notices, change of terms of tenancy and tenancy termination notices with the Rent Board within ten (10) business days after service on the tenant (SEE STEP 4). Proof of Service with time and date of service must be included with the notice filed with the City (RMC 11.100.060(s)(1)).
ARE LANDLORDS ALLOWED TO "BANK" ANNUAL GENERAL ADJUSTMENT RENT INCREASES?
Yes, Landlords may apply deferred Annual General Adjustment rent increases; however, Rent Board Regulation 602 limits the amount of deferred increases that can be applied in any 12-month period.