City To Host Tenant Protections Informational Workshops

PETALUMA, CA — Renters, landlords, and all interested Petaluma community members are invited to join the City of Petaluma’s two upcoming informational workshops to learn about the current Tenant Protections Ordinance.

The first workshop will be a virtual meeting held Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. on Zoom while the second workshop will be held in-person Saturday, Feb. 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Petaluma Community Center.

The city's ordinance was created as a way to enhance the protections provided under California’s Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (TPA) which took effect on Jan. 1, 2020, the city explained on its webpage.

Petaluma's protections include prevention of arbitrary, retaliatory, or discriminatory evictions, providing relocation assistance to tenants who are evicted under certain circumstances and ensuring that all noticing is provided in both English and Spanish or in the same language as the original Lease Agreement.

Those in attendance at the meetings will be provided with information about the current Tenant Protections Ordinance while gaining an understanding of how Petaluma's ordinance compares to existing state law, the city said.

According to the city's website, community members in attendance will have to opportunity to submit feedback on how the interim ordinance might be amended before council reviews the ordinance during its scheduled March 6 workshop to discuss "what, if any, changes will be made."

Attendees will also learn how the ordinance impacts them as a renter or landlord. A question and answer session will follow the discussion.

For additional details, including the Zoom link for the Feb. 1 meeting, visit the city of Petaluma's Tenant Protections webpage here.

Spanish translation will be available at both meetings, the city said.