A recent report from Concord city staff lauds the city’s current rent-review and multifamily-inspection programs for helping renters stay in their homes and improving their living conditions.

The staff report, presented to the City Council on Nov. 27, highlights the mediation program’s success rate. Since the inception of the rent-review program in June 2017, the city has received 25 cases, two of which are pending. Of the 23 closed mediation cases, 83 percent reached a positive resolution to the disputes, with tenants receiving a lower rent increase than originally offered, or with tenants staying in their residence.

The city’s analysis also found that:

• The rent-review program has had a moderating effect on significant rent increases.
• The program provides tenants with a venue for addressing habitability issues in addition to rent increases
• The rent review panel has been effective in negotiating more modest rent increases in exchange for the owner/operator addressing maintenance issues.
• The conciliation and mediation process resulted in effective compromises.
• The program improved communication between the city’s tenants and landlords

City staff also praised the city’s multifamily-inspection program for its proactive and robust approach to addressing code-enforcement issues.

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