It shall be unlawful for any landlord to demand, accept or retain more than the maximum rent permitted pursuant to this section and this chapter.
(A) Immediate temporary rent freeze. Rents shall be frozen at their current rate and shall not be increased during the 120-day period following the date of adoption of this chapter.
(B) Establishment of base rent ceiling. Beginning 120 days after the adoption of this chapter, no landlord shall charge rent for any controlled rental units in an amount greater than the rent in effect on the date one year prior to the adoption of this chapter. The rent in effect on that date is the “base rent ceiling.” If there was no rent in effect on the date one year prior to the adoption of this chapter, the base rent ceiling shall be the rent that was charged on the first date that rent was charged subsequent to the date one year prior to the adopt of this chapter. For tenancies commencing on or after the adoption of this chapter, which qualify for a vacancy rent increase pursuant to state law, the base rent ceiling is the initial rental rate in effect on the date the tenancy commences. As used in this division, the term “initial rental rate” means only the amount of rent actually paid by the tenant for the initial term of the tenancy. The base rent ceiling is the reference point from which the rent ceiling may be adjusted upward, if applicable.
(C) Rent increases. Landlord may increase rent according to the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers or CPI-U. The maximum increase in rent based on the CPI-U is 5% per 12-month period. Thus, the rent for any controlled unit shall not be increased more than 5% during any 12-month period. An increase made pursuant to this division shall establish a new “base rent ceiling” for the affected unit.
(D) Increases based on consumer price index of less than 1%. If the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) is any number less than 1%, then the landlord may increase rent up to 1%.
(E) Posting. The landlord has a duty to post the maximum allowable rent prior to any increase. As soon as the landlord is aware of the maximum allowable rent, the landlord shall post it for each unit in a prominent place in or about the affected controlled units. The city may require that other information it deems relevant also be posted.
(F) Penalties for failure to post. The city shall notify a landlord of failure to post a notice in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. If a landlord fails to post the notice within seven days of city’s notification, the landlord shall pay a fine of $250 for each day after the seventh day that the landlord fails to post the notice.
(Ord. 1447, passed 10-21-20; Am. Ord. 1466, passed 12-1-21; Am. Ord. 1501, passed 4-5-23)