Hayward Measure CC Passed: What the Business-License Overhaul Means for Small Rental Operators
Hayward voters approved Measure CC on November 3 by roughly 65% to 35% (preliminary count). Starting January 1, 2027, residential rentals pay a flat $3.75 per $1,000 of gross rents ($60 minimum), on top of the city’s $125 rental inspection fee. Here’s what it means for small rental operators.
Scammers Are Renting Out Your Vacant Unit. Your Self-Tour Lockbox Is Doing the Selling.
A Redwood City family toured a home, signed a lease and paid $4,500 to a fake landlord who never owned it. Here is how listing hijackers use a real owner’s vacancy and self-tour code, and the cheap controls East Bay landlords can put in place before the next vacancy.
Bay Area Gas-to-Electric Rules: What Landlords Need to Know Before the Next Water Heater Fails
Bay Area Air District zero-NOx rules mean the next failed gas water heater or furnace must be electric. Landlords who survey panels and plan upgrades before failure avoid habitability delays and rent-control problems.
Getting a Rental Unit Back Does Not Make the Stuff Inside Yours. California Still Requires Notice.
California requires notice before disposing of a former tenant’s belongings. After the 15- or 18-day claim period, property under $700 may be kept or discarded; higher-value items must go to public sale.
A Domestic Violence Lease Termination Ends Rent Liability After 14 Days. The Rest of the Process Still Has Deadlines.
California Civil Code 1946.7 lets abuse survivors end a lease after 14 days with proper notice. Landlords must change locks within 24 hours at their expense and follow AB 2801 deposit photo rules.
Disability Requests Split Into Two Categories. Who Pays Depends on Which One You Received
Fair Housing law splits disability requests into accommodations (rule changes, usually no cost to the tenant) and modifications (physical changes, tenant pays in private housing). The interactive process and proper classification prevent most claims.
Oakland Treats a Shifted Garbage Bill as a Rent Increase. The Math Rarely Works.
Oakland treats a new garbage charge on an existing tenant as a rent increase under the Rent Adjustment Program. The allowable annual percentage is small, and unpaid utility fees do not support a just-cause eviction.
California Now Requires You to Take the First Qualified Rental Applicant. Comparing the Whole Stack Is the Expensive Option.
California’s AB 2493 requires landlords who charge screening fees to approve the first qualified applicant in order or refund every unselected applicant. Written criteria, seven-day credit reports, and itemized receipts are now mandatory.
California Is Treating Utility Fees and “Junk” Charges as Rent. The Math Is Not Optional
California now treats new mandatory utility fees and junk charges as part of rent under AB 1482. Adding them to maxed increases risks overcharges, penalties, and enforcement like the Mission Rock settlement. Audit billing now.
The 2027 Bay Area Gas Water Heater Rule Is Coming. Waiting for the Old One to Die Is the Expensive Plan.
Bay Area gas water heater replacements face a zero-NOx rule starting 2027, forcing heat pumps that often need panel upgrades. Plan now to avoid habitability delays, rent-control problems, and emergency costs when the old tank fails.