§ 8.22.700. Findings and purpose.

A.

This Article shall be known as the "Tenant Move Out Agreement Ordinance."

B.

The majority of Oakland's residents are renters, many of whom live in rent-controlled units or units covered by Oakland's Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance.

C.

The City of Oakland is dedicated to pursuing policies that protect its most vulnerable residents and promote housing security for inhabitants of all income levels.

D.

Oakland's affordable housing crisis has exacerbated bargaining power disparities between property owners and tenants, contributing to a dynamic whereby tenants may enter into move out agreements without full knowledge or understanding of their legal rights.

E.

The City Council finds that reasonable regulation of aspects of the property owner-tenant relationship is necessary to foster constructive communication, maintain an adequate supply of a variety of rental housing options, and protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the public.

F.

The main purposes of this Article are to improve the fairness and transparency of move out negotiations and move out agreements, to ensure that tenants who enter into move out negotiations or move out agreements are aware of their rights, to prevent property owners from contracting around the legal rights and remedies available to tenants under existing law, and to equip the city with useful tools for monitoring the impacts of move out agreements on Oakland's residents and housing market.

(Ord. No. 13483, § 1, 4-17-2018)