Oakland, CA- Tonight, Oakland City Council voted to extend the moratorium on the substantial rehabilitation exemption to rent control. The moratorium, authored by Councilmembers Kaplan and Kalb, seeks to minimize the displacement of tenants unable to afford the higher rents that owners charge after units are removed from the rent control program through the substantial rehabilitation exemption.
Councilmember Kaplan has taken a position on eliminating the loophole completely, and Council agreed to direct staff to work on ending the exemption completely. View Kaplan’s letter here.
“I am thrilled that Council voted to both extend the moratorium, and work on closing it completely. With the housing and homelessness crisis looming, this is one step forward in reducing displacement of Oakland residents from our City.