The California Apartment Association today published new forms to help landlords comply with updates to Hayward’s rent control law.

As of July 25, 2019, Hayward’s 39-year-old Residential Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection Ordinance has been amended to do the following:

  • Expand the properties subject to the ordinance.
  • Prohibit harassment and retaliation.
  • Prohibit discrimination based on source of income, including Section 8 vouchers.
  • Limit the reasons for which a tenancy may be terminated, and
  • Establish an annual rent limitation of 5% for “covered units” and a mandatory mediation and binding arbitration program for increases above that threshold. 
Hayward City Council

The Residential Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protection Ordinance, or RRSO, requires landlords to provide existing and new tenants a written notice indicating which provisions of the RRSO apply to their units and either a copy of the RRSO or a copy of the city of Hayward RRSO Summary. That information must be provided to existing tenants by Aug. 25 and to new tenants upon entering a rental agreement.

CAA has prepared a notice CAA Form 69.1-HAY for landlords to send to existing tenants and an addendum CAA Form 69.0-HAY to include in rental agreements for new tenants. 

If a landlord has one or more “covered units” in the city of Hayward, the RRSO also requires the landlord to post and maintain in a conspicuous place, by Aug. 25, a written notice adopted by the city indicating that the units are covered units. The required notice and a description of covered units can be found here.  The RRSO treats the failure to provide the required notices as an infraction.

Stay tuned for additional compliance materials with respect to the RRSO.