Speaking up to let your City Councilmembers and the Mayor know how you feel about legislation does have impact! And it's not hard to do. You typically only have one minute to speak, so practicing ahead of time will help you! Not sure what do say? Craft your own message or use our suggested statement below.
Elected officials continually protect tenants at all costs - even if that means literally at the expense of the owner. That is what the Eviction Moratorium has done to some rental housing owners. Planning on taking your annual allowable rent increase? They want to prohibit that too! Even if the moratorium or ability to increase rent has not impacted you directly you can convey how it harms your fellow owners.
SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS FOR EVICTION MORATORIUM [PREPARE FOR MAX 1 MINUTE ONLY TO SPEAK]
This moratorium has harmed small property owners who are members of this community .We provided critical shelter during the time of COVID. For some of us, this has been at our expense for tenants who have not paid rent for months on end. We are three years in to this pandemic. It is clear that emergency crisis portion of the pandemic is over. People are back to work. The risk of getting COVID is no longer compounded by a requirement to move.
Give your constituents one good reason why someone should be permitted to stay in their housing if they are not paying rent, causing problems with other residents, or violating the lease. To continue the moratorium beyond the state's state of emergency would be an absolute illegal abuse of your power as Councilmembers. Please lift the moratorium NOW."
TELL YOUR PERSONAL STORY TO THE MAYOR & COUNCIL. Your personal experience is important. If you've been harmed by the moratorium, tell them exactly how you have been impacted.
Email the Mayor and City Councilmembers with your testimony. If you don't have personal testimony, use our statement above titled "Talking Points."
Elected officials continually act like these owner-occupied parcels are controlled by evil landlords that intend to steal money from their tenants.
"Small owners who live onsite with their tenant, have a more personal relationship - one that is akin to a roommate. We share common areas, and the impact of our interactions has a far greater effect on us then an owner that doesn’t live on site. If evictions weren’t so costly and lengthy, and I could quickly disengage from a contentious relationship with my tenant, I wouldn’t be fighting for these protections. But the truth is evictions are expensive, on average take 2-4 months, and in the meanwhile I am forced to live in close proximity to the tenant that is posing the problem or has violated the lease."
Craft your story by answering some of these questions:
TELL YOUR PERSONAL STORY TO THE MAYOR & COUNCIL. These stories are important. Let them know how you are a provider of an essential service during the pandemic, and you are working to provide your tenants a safe space to be during Shelter in Place!
Elected officials have already kept ALL evictions at bay for over two years with the eviction moratorium. These policies are hurting small owners and there is no end in sight. The Council is acting tone deaf to their constituents by trying to place this harmful legislation on the ballot.
In 2018, the voters spoke and that said increased regulation owner-occupied parcels are a hindrance to the creation of ADUs. The City Council is acting tone deaf in ignoring the will of the voter. Golden Duplex exemptions follow the same lines of owner-occupied ADU parcels – increased regulation inhibits an owner’s likelihood to choose to rent to a long-term tenant.
Copyright © 2024 BERKELEY RENT REGULATIONS - All Rights Reserved.