REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Introduce an Ordinance to Add Chapter 19.71 of Title 19 of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code Creating a Residential Tenant Protections Program (Study Issue)
Report
SUMMARY OF COMMISSION ACTION
The Housing and Human Services Commission considered this item on March 22, 2023. There were two members of the public who spoke at the meeting, one supporting the staff's recommendation and one opposing it. The meeting minutes can be found as Attachment 7 to this report. The Commission voted to recommend to City Council to introduce an ordinance to add Chapter 19.71 (Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance) to Title 19 ("Zoning") of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code creating a Residential Tenant Protections Program with the following modifications: (1) language clarifying that relocation assistance be available only to those named on the lease; (2) only one month of relocation assistance would be required; and (3) language asserting that relocation assistance would not vary based on income of the tenant(s). The vote was 6-0-1, with Commissioner Davis absent.
The Planning Commission considered this item on April 10, 2023. There were two members of the public who spoke at the meeting, one supporting the staff recommendation and one opposing it. The Commission voted to recommend to City Council to introduce an ordinance to add Chapter 19.71 (Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance) to Title 19 ("Zoning") of the Sunnyvale Municipal Code creating a Residential Tenant Protections Program with the following modifications: (1) if feasible, the lease addendum containing applicable information on the proposed ordinance must be made available to tenants in Spanish, and (2) a tenant can agree to waive their right to relocation assistance, equal to two months of rent, in exchange for other accommodations provided by the property owner (e.g., storage for their household items, differential rental payment for temporary lodging, guarantee that the tenant ma...
Click here for full text