On November 28, 2017, the San Jose City Council voted to replace the City’s nearly forty-year-old rent control law with a new rent control ordinance.  The Apartment Rent Ordinance (ARO) took effect on December 29, 2017.  The ARO retained the 5% annual rent increase previously permitted, but also adopted many new requirements, including a new registry of rent-controlled units. One aspect of the ARO is the “Tenant Buyout Agreement” which permits landlords to obtain a voluntary vacancy in a rent-controlled unit by entering into a tenant buyout agreement. This Industry Insight provides an overview of the requirements and components of the tenant buyout agreement under the terms of the ARO.