DATE: February 3, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Development Services
SUBJECT
Title
Residential Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection Ordinance: Introduction of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 12, Article 1 of the Hayward Municipal Code to Extend the Arbitration Decision Deadlines and Include a Cost Recovery Process Consistent with Other Housing Program Fees
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the City Council introduces an Ordinance (Attachment II) amending Sections 12-1.07(j)(7) and 12-1.17 of Article 1, Chapter 12 of the Hayward Municipal Code that extends the arbitration decision deadline and includes a cost recovery process consistent with the process used for the Residential Rental Inspection Program (RRIP).
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SUMMARY
The current Residential Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection Ordinance (RRSO) requires a 20-day deadline for arbitrators to render a decision during the rent dispute resolution process and does not include an effective cost recovery process for the Rent Review Program. Specifically, arbitrators have raised concerns that the 20-day deadline does not provide sufficient time to render their decisions, and staff remains limited in its ability to ensure a full cost recovery from the program. To remedy these administrative issues, staff recommend modifying the RRSO to:
• Extend the arbitration decision deadline from its current 20-day deadline to a 30-day deadline; and
• Provide the City with authority to impose assessments on rental properties when landlords fail to pay their annual RRSO fee similar to the process for collecting late or unpaid fees for the RRIP thus allowing for a fully merged and combined billing process for all rental housing program fees.
Attachment II shows these changes with redlines to the existing RRSO.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report
Attachment II Amended RRSO Redline Edits