How you feel about rent ordinances is not just a question of whether you are a property owner or a tenant. While people might imagine that tenants love rent control and property owners hate it, there are actually pros and cons of rent control for property owners and for tenants. Hayward rent ordinance attorneys can explain rent control to you, help you understand the pros and cons, and answer any questions you may have about complying with or challenging rent control ordinances.
The obvious pro of rent control is lower rents for tenants. Landlords are only able to raise rent one time per year, and the amount that they can raise the rent is set by an overseeing body, often referred to as the rent board. This amount is generally reflected as a percentage of the rent. When the old tenants leave the, the landlord is able to charge any rent, but will still be restricted to raising rents in the percentage increments for subsequent tenants. For tenants, lower rent is good because it makes housing more affordable. For landlords, lower rent can reduce competition between landlords, which can also be positive.
A con for both landlords and tenants is that rent control can lead to inferior quality housing. The lower rents may simply not be enough to cover a landlord’s costs and are a disincentive for landlords to provide maintenance and conduct necessary repairs. Furthermore, because rent control tends to be by area, there may be large areas impacted by this, which can result in an overall decline for an entire neighborhood.
A pro for landlords with rent control is that it discourages tenants from moving; an occupied unit means that rent is being paid. However, for tenants, this can mean that they feel like they are stuck because a move almost always means that they will be transferring to a place with a higher initial starting rent. The result can be people staying in the same rental facility for a lifetime and reduced neighborhood turn over.
If you have any more questions about rent control, you can contact an attorney to discuss the Hayward rent ordinance.
