Berkeley landlords issuing no-fault evictions must pay relocation assistance scaled by tenancy length, with elderly, disabled, and child-occupied households receiving enhanced payments under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
BMC Chapter 13.84 implements relocation rules administered by the Rent Stabilization Board. Standard relocation payment in 2026 is roughly 18,000 dollars per unit for tenants displaced by owner move-in, withdrawal under the Ellis Act, or substantial rehab. Enhanced payments add 7,500 dollars when the household includes a senior, disabled person, or minor child. Payments are due before the tenant must vacate. Berkeley's payment levels exceed AB 1482's statewide one-month rent floor by anchoring to actual displacement costs in a tight housing market.
Failing to pay timely relocation assistance voids the eviction notice and exposes landlords to treble damages, attorney fees, and Rent Board enforcement actions including civil penalties.
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley has one of the oldest just-cause eviction ordinances in the US. Landlords must cite a specific legal reason from BMC Chapter 13.76 to terminate a te...
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley's Just Cause Eviction Ordinance, among the nation's earliest, restricts no-fault evictions to owner move-in, Ellis Act withdrawal, substantial rehab...
See how other cities in Alameda County handle relocation assistance.
See how Berkeley's relocation assistance rules stack up against other locations.
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