Landlords in San Jose may soon face new penalties for breaking certain rules.
The San Jose City Council on Tuesday will decide whether to approve new landlord fines, which are designed to encourage property owners to follow the law when it comes to how they treat their tenants.
For example, landlords are required to provide a legitimate reason for not renewing a tenant's lease. The city is considering a starting fine of $500 for landlords who don't follow the just cause eviction rule.
Some landlords say the new fines would create a financial burden for them. They also believe the city should be focusing on the affordability crisis, not them.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Rules Committee on Monday unanimously approved legislation that would expand eviction protections for more than 35,000 San Francisco households.
The legislation calls for eviction controls and relocation payments for tenants in buildings built after 1979.
Currently those protections are only afforded to tenants in buildings built before 1979. As it stands, landlords in newer buildings must give tenants up to 60 days notice to leave their units and aren't required to give a reason for the eviction.
