Tenant Petitions

There are several types of claims that a tenant may assert against his or her landlord by filing a Tenant Petition at the Rent Board. There is no charge for filing the petition. In many cases, a petition is resolved after a mediation session, although sometimes an arbitration hearing before an Administrative Law Judge is required.

The tenant may combine more than one type of claim in a Tenant Petition. The types of claims that may be included in the petition are:

• Substantial Decrease in Housing Services;
• Failure to Repair and Maintain;
• Unlawful Rent Increase or Request for Determination of Lawful Rent;
• Improper Utility Passthrough;
• Improper Water Revenue Bond Passthrough;
• Improper General Obligation Bond Measure Passthrough;
• Failure to Discontinue a Capital Improvement Passthrough;
• Section 6.15C(3) Proportional Rent Claim by a Subtenant Against a Master Tenant; and Unlawful Initial Rent Claim by a Subtenant.
• Tenant Objection to Owner's ADU Declaration and Request for Hearing

The following types of claims may also be filed at the Rent Board, although they may not necessarily be scheduled for a hearing or mediation:

• Tenant Summary Petition Based on Receipt of Invalid Notice of Rent Increase
• Report of Alleged Wrongful Eviction
• Tenant Financial Hardship Application

Please note that the Rent Board cannot decide matters that are not covered by the Rent Ordinance. For example, we do not adjudicate issues that are not related to the amount of rent charged, such as harassment, discrimination and retaliation. We also do not adjudicate issues involving security deposits. Such matters must be decided in court or another forum.

Substantial decrease in housing services petitions

Failure to repair and maintain petitions

Unlawful rent increase petitions and lawful rent determinations

Tenant petitions for improper utility passthrough and deferral of a utility passthrough based on financial hardship

Tenant challenge of improper water revenue bond passthrough

Tenant challenge of improper general obligation bond measure passthrough

Petitions for failure to discontinue capital improvement passthrough

Report if you are being overcharged by a master tenant

Tenant summary petitions

Reports of alleged wrongful eviction

Tenant financial hardship applications

Tags: Topic 351