Tenant Relocation Assistance
Displacement of tenants might require providing tenant relocation assistance through either the City’s Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance (TRAO) and/or the State’s Housing Crisis Act of 2019, also referred to as SB330 (effective until December 31, 2024). To determine which tenant relocation laws may be applicable to your situation, see the Tenant Relocation Administrative Guidelines. These guidelines are intended to be an overview of key provisions from the City's TRAO regulations and SB 330 State Law. The stricter of the TRAO or SB330 requirements shall prevail where applicable. Please refer to each respective law for the complete text and requirements. These guidelines may be revised from time to time to clarify or revise procedures consistent with state law.
In February 2010, the City Council adopted a Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance requiring landlords to provide relocation assistance if eligible tenants in three or more rental units have been displaced because of renovations, redevelopment, and similar activities. The City’s ordinance is intended to help lower income households with moving costs, deposits, and securing replacement housing. Households are eligible for relocation assistance if:
- The household income is 120% (plus $5,000) or less of the Area Median Income (AMI);
- The household has a valid lease or rental agreement with the landlord; and
- The household is not delinquent on rental payments.
Relocation assistance is provided as a cash payment to eligible person(s) on the lease or rental agreement. The following assistance is paid per rental unit (not per tenant):
- Full refund of a tenant’s security deposit;
- A subscription to a rental agency;
- The cash equivalent of three months median market rate rent for a similar sized apartment; and
- An additional $8,000 for special-circumstances tenants, which are households having at least one person that is either over 62 years of age, handicapped, disabled, or a legally dependent child 19 years of age or younger.
For questions, please contact Andrea Kennedy by phone at 650-903-6125 or by email at andrea.kennedy@mountainview.gov