On February 4, 2019, City staff presented an informational report to the City Council regarding Mandatory Mediation and Just Cause evictions. Mediation is a process in which a neutral third party facilitates the negotiation of a mutually acceptable resolution to a dispute between a landlord and a tenant. With Mandatory Mediation, if a triggering event occurs (such as a rent increase of a certain percentage), then the impacted tenant is able to request mediation services. Just Cause policies are intended to provide stability for households who rent by regulating the grounds for eviction, typically by prohibiting termination of a residential tenancy without expressly stating the reason. These policies serve to promote greater awareness of the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants and provide a clear and transparent process for evictions and lease terminations, particularly when rental agreements do not exist or lack specificity. After the February 4 meeting, the City Council created a renter protections ad-hoc subcommittee to review these policies in more detail with stakeholders. The ad-hoc subcommittee recommends that the City Council adopt Mandatory Mediation and Just Cause Eviction policies.
This informational report that will be presented at Monday’s meeting will outline the ad-hoc subcommittee’s findings and recommendations. Considering that this item is an informational report, the City Council will not be taking any formal action at this time.