The town of Fairfax continues to wrestle with the town’s residents over what some are calling an ill-advised rent control and just-cause eviction law. Fairfax is the first municipality in Marin to adopt the ordinances.
Last week, the town council held a public meeting to explain the new laws. It lasted into the wee hours of the morning without consensus. The town’s new rules, a citizen petition said, gives renters more rights than the property owner. The town said it will hold more meetings to explain and possibly adjust.
The Fairfax ordinances were pushed by the Marin Democratic Socialists of America.
During the marathon meeting last week, Councilmember Bruce Ackerman said the town’s new ordinance possibly happened “too fast.”
There are multiply probelms with the Town of Fairfax, and this is the last of many irresponsible actions taken by the Town Council. Pushed by the Democratic Socialists of America, LAM and the Berkeley Rent Control Board the Town Council voted on and passed In November 2022 a “Rent Stabilization” and a “Just Cause” Ordinances. Posted on another site:
“The real effects of these now local laws are:
1. Landlords will sell their rental units and invest in other places.
2. Prospective landlords will not want rentals in Fairfax. New small additions? Not in Fairfax!.
3. Landlords will NOT maintain their property as well as they have done in the past, or they will upgrade the units as soon as their current tenants leave and rent to high income tenants instead of the moderate and lower income tenants they rented to in the past. Most will raise rents to the maximum every year, more than many did in the past. They can expect lawsuit costs when they try to evict a bad tenant and that more expensive maintenance costs cannot be partially passed on to renters”.
Fairfax’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance read limits rent increase to 60% of Consumer Price Index OR 5%, whichever is LOWER. The “Just Cause” Ordinance” is so ridiculous that I can’t write all it’s injustices. If you want more information read Ordinance – No 870 and 871 on Fairfax Town Website.
Did the Democratic Socialist of American (DSA) reach out to Stepahnie,Chance and past Town Council member Renee Goddard or was it the other way around? What about the Berkeley Rental Board? WTH – is Berkeley now going to review cases and tell Fairfax landlord’s if it’s okay to raise their rent? How much are we, Fairfax, contracted to pay Berkely Rental Board? Does Fairfax have an endless supply of funds?
Message to the Town: CANCEL the March Meeting telling us more about these Ordinaces, RESCEND the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Ordinances and put it up for a VOTE.
Let the resident’s decide!
You haven’t made any actual points. It’s more like vague threats that landlords ‘won’t maintain their property as well’…landlords won’t do this, they won’t do that… They are already getting the highest rents in the nation, you’re saying they’ll just refuse to do their jobs because they won’t have any more money?? Or they will sabotage their own units and tenants out of spite? All your points just prove how landlords actually do need to be regulated.
If a landlord can’t make it in Marin I would suggest maybe getting a real job and curbing your life goals or changing your spending habits.