Housing Counseling
Rent Board housing counselors can help answer questions about your rights and responsibilities. Current services information can be found below.
Housing counselors provide free information to tenants, landlords, realtors, and other parties about their rights and responsibilities as they relate to Berkeley’s Rent Stabilization and Eviction for Good Cause Ordinance. Counseling is non-advocacy/non-directive, meaning counselors do not take sides in disputes, argue a client’s case, or tell clients what choices to make. Instead, counselors provide information and options to empower clients to make their own choices. Counselors cannot provide legal advice, but can make referrals to community-based organizations as needed.
Housing counselors can also help parties navigate Rent Board processes for requesting mediations, filing petitions, and accessing other city department services.
service model
Housing counselors are available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday (closed every Wednesday) from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. We will respond to all inquiries within five (5) business days.
You can call a housing counselor at (510) 981-7368 (RENT). You can schedule an appointment (including Zoom video appointments) with a housing counselor, or email a housing counselor at rent@cityofberkeley.info.
All email and voicemail messages should include:
- Your name
- Your property address
- A brief description of your issue
- If you’ve received a Notice to Pay Rent or Quit or other eviction notice (we will prioritize your call).
