This is a short general-information note on developments that have been showing up in Bay Area real estate, land use, and California landlord-tenant work. It is not legal advice and does not address any particular property or tenancy. Confirm current statutes, ordinances, and case filings before relying on them.
San Francisco’s two rental ordinances we noted last week are now signed. On October 29, 2026, the Mayor signed an ordinance that bars eviction for nonpayment unless the unpaid amount reaches at least one month of HUD fair market rent, along with the No Hidden Rent Act, which requires listings and leases to disclose the full regular monthly cost and prevents evictions over fees that were not clearly disclosed in the lease. The City says the disclosure rules apply to both rent-controlled and rent-exempt units. KALW reports that the San Francisco Apartment Association told the Board the nonpayment threshold conflicts with state law and asked it to wait for a California Supreme Court ruling on a similar Los Angeles measure, so expect that question to be litigated. San Francisco owners should check effective dates and review listing templates, lease fee schedules, and three-day notice practices now.
The same idea is moving elsewhere. In Santa Barbara, proposed just-cause amendments include a one-month nonpayment threshold, a longer owner move-in occupancy period, and a “school year defense,” though the council put further changes off until 2027. In Long Beach, a council committee heard proposals on October 27 for a two-month threshold and limits on substantial-remodel terminations, and adopted nothing. Minimum-arrears rules are becoming a pattern in California cities, and a local nonpayment case may now turn on the amount owed as much as on the notice.
In Richmond, the Rent Board’s October 21 study session on applying rent control to Section 8 and LIHTC housing did not end in a decision. Reports from the meeting indicate the Board continued the item to its November 18 meeting, 3–0, without giving staff direction, so Regulation 202, Regulation 204, and Resolution 19-01 are unchanged for now. The current Annual General Adjustment on the Rent Program’s page remains 1.5% for increases taking effect from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027. Owners of subsidized or tax-credit units in Richmond should follow the November 18 agenda.
Two Richmond land-use items are on calendars this week. The Historic Preservation Commission’s November 2 agenda includes a study session on Mills Act program amendments, including zoning text changes to Municipal Code section 15.04.303.160, a new contract template, and a possible tax-savings calculator; no action is scheduled. That is worth following for owners of older Point Richmond buildings weighing a Mills Act contract. The Planning Commission’s November 5 agenda lists a public hearing on a conditional use permit and design review for a wet gas scrubber at the Chevron refinery (PLN24-098), relying on an addendum to a previously certified EIR, plus a report on the 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report.
Elsewhere in the county, the Contra Costa Zoning Administrator has a November 2 hearing on an 80-unit senior affordable rental project at 900 Canal Road in Bay Point. Under the state Density Bonus Law, the applicant is asking for reduced setbacks, 18 parking spaces where the code would otherwise require 141, and relief from park impact and dedication fees. It is a clear local example of how far concessions and waivers can move a project away from base zoning. And in San Pablo, Measure S, the rent-control and just-cause initiative we summarized last week, is on the November 3 ballot. Wait for certified results before assuming effective dates.
Rules and dockets change. Read the current text and the actual file, not a weekly summary.