Concord Rent Review Program On City Council Agenda

CONCORD, CA — The Concord City Council will hear feedback Tuesday from city staff and residents regarding programs for physical inspections of local rental properties and rent-dispute resolution. The city's Residential Rent Review Program was approved by the Council and went into effect on June 23, 2017. The program includes phone conciliation, face-to-face mediation with trained mediators and arbitration before a "Rent Review Panel" to address rent increases exceeding 10 percent within a 12-month period.

The city contracts with ECHO Housing for the conciliation and mediation services. In cases where mediation isn't successful, the Rent Review Panel convenes to hear public testimony from the tenant and landlord, and then renders a decision.

From June 2017 through October 2018, the program fielded 25 cases, 23 of them having been resolved and two others pending.

The city's Multi-Family Rental Inspection Program was formed in 2000 to address code enforcement concerns for any housing development of four or more units.

The program was in the spotlight in 2016, when residents of several apartment complexes in the Monument Corridor complained to the city of recurring bedbug infestations and other maintenance issues. The city responded by requiring more frequent inspections and dedicating more city staff time to inspection program-related issues.

The council will hear reports about both programs, take public comment and could suggest modifications to the programs.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. in the council chamber at City Hall, 1950 Parkside Drive.

By Bay City News Service

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