Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Meeting Agenda: 09/18/2025

RENT STABILIZATION BOARD
Regular Meeting
Thursday, september 18, 2025 – 7:00 p.m.
School District Board Room – 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA

Public participation

This meeting will be conducted in a hybrid model with both in-person and remote participation, and in accordance with Government Code Section 54953 and all current state and local requirements allowing public participation in meetings of legislative bodies. Any member of the public may attend this meeting at the posted location(s). Questions regarding this matter may be addressed to DéSeana Williams, Executive Director of the Rent Board, at 510-981-7368 (981-RENT). The Committee may take action related to any subject listed on the Agenda.

To access this meeting by Zoom

Join the meeting from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Android device. If you do not want your name to appear on the screen, use the drop-down menu and click on "Rename" to rename yourself to be anonymous. To request to speak, use the “Raise Hand” icon by rolling over the bottom of the screen.

To join by phone

Dial 1-669-444-9171, enter Webinar ID: 827 7067 9817 and Passcode: 949233. To comment during the public comment part of the agenda, Press *9 and wait to be recognized by the Committee Chair.

Email comments

Email comments must be submitted to doliver@berkeleyca.gov by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting in order to be considered by the Committee and included in the public record. Format your subject line: “RENT BOARD MEETING PUBLIC COMMENT ITEM.” Please observe a 150-word limit. Time limits on public comments will apply.

Decorum

All rules of procedure and decorum apply for both in-person attendees and those participating remotely. Attendees at public meetings are reminded that other attendees may be sensitive to various scents. Please help the City respect these needs.

Communications access information

This meeting is being held in a wheelchair accessible location. To request disability-related accommodation(s) to participate in the meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact the Disability Services Specialist at (510) 981-6418 (voice) or (510) 981-6347 (TDD) at least three (3) business days before the meeting date.

RENT STABILIZATION BOARD
Regular Meeting
Thursday, September 18, 2025 – 7:00 p.m.
School District Board Room – 1231 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA

Video Archive (2:28)

AGENDA

*Times allotted for each item are approximate and may be changed at the Board’s discretion
  during the course of this meeting.

1. Roll call – 1 min.*
    
2. Approval of Agenda – 1 min.*
    
3. Land Acknowledgment Statement: The Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board recognizes that the rental housing units we regulate are built on the territory of xučyun (Huchiun-(Hooch-yoon)), the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo (Cho-chen-yo)-speaking Ohlone (Oh-low-nee) people, the ancestors and descendants of the sovereign Verona Band of Alameda County. This land was and continues to be of great importance to all of the Ohlone Tribes and descendants of the Verona Band. As we begin our meeting tonight, we acknowledge and honor the original inhabitants of Berkeley, the documented 5,000-year history of a vibrant community at the West Berkeley Shellmound, and the Ohlone people who continue to reside in the East Bay. We recognize that Berkeley’s landlords and tenants have and continue to benefit from the use and occupation of this unceded stolen land since the City of Berkeley’s incorporation in 1878 and since the Rent Stabilization Board’s creation in 1980. As stewards of the laws regulating rental housing, it is not only vital that we recognize the history of this land but also recognize that the Ohlone people are present members of Berkeley and other East Bay communities today. – 2 min.*
    
4. Public Comment for Unions representing Rent Board staff – 5 min.* 
    
5. Public Comment – 2 min.*
    
6. SPECIAL PRESENTATION: East Bay Community Law Center- Evictions Outcomes Report: Berkeley eviction trends and data post-Eviction Moratorium Presenter: Meghan Gordon, EBCLC Co-Director of Housing & Clinical Supervising Attorney – 35 min.*
    
7. CONSENT ITEMS – 1 min.*
    
   1. Approval of the July 17th regular meeting minutes
       
   2. Recommendation to adopt Regulation 412 [Definition of Occupied Rental Unit Under B.M.C. section 13.76.135] and substantive changes to the following existing Regulations to administer Right to Organize established by Measure BB:411 [Property Management Company; definition], 1209 [Parties] – All Second Reading (LIRA Committee and General Counsel)
       
   3. Recommendation to adopt amendments to Regulation 1312 [Filing Notices and Complaints with Rent Board] – Second Reading (LIRA Committee and General Counsel)
       
   4. Proposal to approve staff recommendations on the following requests for waivers of late registration penalties (Executive Director/Registration Unit Manager) 
      
      Discretionary Waivers
      Waiver No.     Property Address
      
      W5155           2124 Center St.
      W5157           2025 Hearst Ave. 
      W5158           2419 Parker St. 
      W5159           2115 Haste and K&S
      W5160           2035 Blake St. 
      W5161           1401 Bancroft Way
      W5162           1837 Addison St.
      W5163           2732 Russell St. 
      W5164           1354 Lincoln St.
       
8. ACTION ITEMS
   from Board Members, Committees, Executive Director or Staff
   
   Public comment will also be heard prior to the Board’s vote on each action item listed below – 1 min. per speaker*
    
   1. Chair Update (Chair Alpert): 
      
      (1)  Discussion regarding signed Amicus brief on behalf of the Board in support of the City of Rochester-PRWORA citizenship and immigration status verification.  (Chair Alpert and Vice-Chair Walker) – 5 min.*
      
      (2) Empty Homes Tax Program Update (Senior Planner, Lief Bursell) – 5 min.*
      
      
      (3) Update regarding CP VI Admirals Cove, LLC v. City of Alameda et. al. (California Court of Appeal, First District, Division Four Case # A170689, A170986) – (General Counsel) - 10 min.*
      
      
      (4) Update regarding Williams, et al. v. Alameda County, Alameda County Board of Supervisors, City of Oakland, Oakland City Council (United States District Court for the Northern District of California Case # 3:22-cv-01274-LB) (General Counsel) - 5 min.*
      
      
      (5)  Establishment of Ad Hoc Committee to consider Rent Ordinance Amendments at the 2026 November general election (Chair Alpert) – 5 min.*
      
      
      (6)  Discussion and possible action to amend Board Rules to allow the Chair to sponsor agenda items without a second author (Chair Alpert) – 3 min.* 
       
   2. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 25-23 approving adjustment to compensation package for Executive Director DéSeana Williams (Chair Alpert and Budget & Personnel Committee Chair Walker) – 5 min.*
       
   3. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 25-24 approving adjustment to compensation package for General Counsel Matt Brown (Chair Alpert and Budget & Personnel Committee Chair Walker) – 5 min.* 
       
   4. Recommendation to adopt Resolution 25-25 adopting a Rent Board Social Media Policy (Executive Director/Digital Education and Media Coordinator) – 5 min.*
       
   5. Discussion and possible action to support Resolution 25-26 Transit funding (Commissioner Twu and Chair Alpert) – 10 min.*
       
9. INFORMATION, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ARTICLES/MEDIA
   from Board Members, Committees, Executive Director or Staff
   
   NOTE:  The Board may vote to move Information Items to the Action calendar.
    
   1. Average Rents for New Tenancies: January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024 (Lief Bursell, Senior Planner and Jen Fabish, Community Services Specialist) – 10 min.*
       
   2. Q1 and Q2 Commissioner Attendance (Board Secretary) - 2 min.*
       
   3. August 2025 Quarterly Newsletter (Executive Director) - 2 min.*
       
   4. August 2025 Quarterly Newsletter Postcard (Executive Director) - 2 min.*
       
   5. Sanctuary City Letter 2025 (Executive Director) - 2 min.*
       
   6. Deadline to submit agenda items/topics for the October regular Rent Board meeting: Monday, October 6th by 5:00 p.m.  – Verbal (Board Secretary) 
       
10. COMMITTEE/BOARD MEETING UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
     
    1. Budget & Personnel Committee (Vice-Chair Walker, Chair) – 5 min.*
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting: To Be Announced (TBA)
        
    2. Climate Resilience & Habitability Committee (Commissioner Martinac, Chair) – 5 min.*
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting date: To Be Announced (TBA)
        
    3. Eviction/Section 8/Foreclosure Committee (Commissioner Elgstrand, Chair) – 5 min.*
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting: To Be Announced 
       
       September 16th agenda
        
    4. Legislation, IRA/AGA & Registration Committee (LIRA Committee) (Chair Alpert, Chair) – 5 min.*
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting: To Be Announced 
       
       July 22nd agenda 
        
    5. Outreach Committee (Commissioner Kelley, Chair) – 5 min.*
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting: To Be Announced 
       
       September 8th agenda
        
    6. 2 x 2 Committee on Housing: Rent Board/Berkeley Unified School District 
       (Commissioner Marrero, Chair) – 5 min.*
       Next meeting date: Monday, September 29th at 5 p.m. 
        
    7. 4 x 4 Joint Task Force Committee on Housing: City Council/Rent Board – 5 min.*
       (Councilmember Lunaparra & Chair Alpert, Co-Chairs)
       Next regularly-scheduled meeting: To Be Announced
        
    8. Updates and Announcements – 5 min.*
        
    9. Discussion of items for possible placement on future agenda – 5 min.*
        
11. ADJOURNMENT