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Record of Proceedings

San Leandro Rent Review Board Meeting Summary (October 28, 2025)

City Council — Tuesday, November 25, 2025
BodySan Leandro, California
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, November 25, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:30:59

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it
0:00

Good evening. Today is Tuesday, October 28, 2025, and this is a meeting of the San Leandro Rent Review Board. Will the clerk call to order? First we have the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:15

Okay, we have...

0:16

So, lights over here.

0:18

Please stand.

0:21

Repeat after me.

0:24

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America

0:27

and to the republic for which it stands,

0:31

one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

0:41

Please call the roll.

0:43

Board Member Canale.

0:44

Here.

0:45

Board Member Spreer?

0:46

Here.

0:48

Board Member Silva?

0:49

Here.

0:50

Board Member Oliveira?

0:51

Here.

0:51

Board Member Usley?

0:53

Here.

0:54

All right.

0:54

We're all here.

0:56

Announcements.

0:58

Staff?

1:00

If someone wishes to make a public comment this evening, please submit a speaker card

1:04

to the city staff before the item is presented.

1:08

During the designated public comment period, speakers will be invited to speak and will

1:12

have a set time to share their comments.

1:14

up to three minutes. Speakers can come up to the table here where there's the chair

1:21

and staff will maintain the time by setting a timer and will notify the speakers when their

1:26

time has ended. Thank you. All right next item on the agenda is the minutes. We have the minutes

1:34

of our meeting of October 22nd, 2024. We received the minutes in the board packet. Chair Silva? Yes.

1:41

I have a question. I believe that we met after that date because I was at that

1:51

meeting of 1024 and I missed the next meeting because I broke my ankle. It was

1:59

a meeting I think when we had elections for you know appointed a new chair and

2:03

vice chair or whatever over again.

2:07

Steph? We can confirm that the last meeting of the

2:11

review board was October 22nd 2024 I believe the last elections of the chair

2:18

and vice chair was the prior meeting which would have been in October 2023 so

2:24

I wonder if that is the meeting you're thinking of yeah no I specifically

2:31

remember missing a meeting hearing about it like why wasn't I there when I was

2:36

expected and it's like I had broken my leg that day or the right around that

2:43

time and it was not quite mobile you're saying you agree there Ginny oh so I'm

2:52

so nobody else recalls a meeting after that no

2:59

okay all right so I think the process would be if there aren't any questions

3:07

it's about the minutes then we would then do public comment well first don't

3:13

we have to vote to approve the minutes I believe there needs to be public comment

3:17

before there is an action okay is there anybody that like to make comment on the

3:23

minutes as presented on the minutes you know we're going to have multiple public

3:29

the comment times. Okay. Pretty much on every item. So yes, Virginia. I think they can pick you up from here. Yeah, I'm coming. Okay. So unfortunately, I didn't read the minutes, but I want to corroborate what was remembered here. There were two meetings. One was to try to resolve all of the discrepancy

3:59

or the discussion about what kind of election was going to be accepted.

4:05

There were two meetings that year.

4:07

Now, I don't have my calendar from back then to know exactly what date it was,

4:11

but that's all I want to say is there was an extension of one of the last meetings.

4:23

Are there any other comments on the minutes?

4:26

There are no other public comments.

4:28

Okay, seeing no other public comments on the minutes, I'll close that discussion and open it up for board discussion.

4:38

Is there any discussion or questions of staff?

4:42

I think we need to get a first and a second on approving them before we have a discussion.

4:48

Okay, thank you.

4:49

Is there a motion to approve the minutes?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Affordable Housing█████████████████████████████████████████████58%
Public Engagement██████████████18%
Technology and Innovation███████9%
Fiscal Sustainability█████7%
Homelessness████5%
Personnel Matters██3%
Summary of Proceedings

San Leandro Rent Review Board Meeting (Oct. 28, 2025)

The San Leandro Rent Review Board met Tuesday, October 28, 2025, convening its first meeting in over a year (members discussed the last meeting as Oct. 22, 2024). The Board approved prior minutes, elected its Chair and Vice Chair, and reviewed the FY 2024–2025 annual report on the Rent Review Ordinance (RRO) and Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance (TRAO). Discussion repeatedly focused on (1) why the Board receives few/no formal hearings, (2) the role of ECHO Housing in counseling/mediation, (3) limitations of rent market data sources, and (4) how state rent cap law (AB 1482) interacts with San Leandro’s 7% hearing threshold. The meeting adjourned at 8:31 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of minutes (Oct. 22, 2024): Approved 5-0.
    • Note/discrepancy raised: Chair Silva questioned whether there had been a meeting after Oct. 22, 2024 due to his recollection (related to chair/vice chair elections). Staff stated the last meeting was Oct. 22, 2024 and prior chair/vice chair elections occurred in Oct. 2023. Public commenter Ginny Madison stated she believed there were “two meetings that year,” including an “extension of one of the last meetings,” but no date was confirmed.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Douglas Spalding (housing provider/landlord): Questioned the Board’s purpose given infrequent meetings; stated tenants fear retaliation and may not believe they will get a “fair shake.” Expressed a position supporting dissolving the Rent Review Board and argued for a professional housing officer/adjudicator instead of the Board.
  • Ginny Madison (tenant advocate; stated she has attended since ~2014/2015): Expressed a position that the Board needs more “teeth” and that tenants do not believe they are supported. Supported a stronger ordinance (referred to as an “RSO”/rent stabilization ordinance) and stated the current framework relies too heavily on Chair Silva.
  • Mark Yanowitz/Janowitz (tenant advocate and small landlord): Suggested the Board/city consider lowering the 7% rent increase threshold that triggers eligibility for a complaint/hearing, as a way to increase use of the process; noted tenants may feel insecure about bringing complaints.
  • Maria Cerveño (San Leandro resident; translated): Expressed a position in favor of staying in San Leandro and remaining in her current community with her four children; stated she feels comfortable with current rent and community.
  • Ana Maria Diaz (property manager): Reported hearing mixed frustrations from residents but stated residents are generally comfortable in the community; expressed a position supporting San Leandro continuing to improve for residents and landlords.
  • Roberta McClish (resident at St. Maurice Gardens; disabled; Section 8 participant): Expressed she feels safe in San Leandro and at her gated property; stated she could not afford rent without Section 8 and would likely become homeless otherwise; expressed positive views of recent management improvements.

Discussion Items

5A — Election of Chair and Vice Chair

  • Chair: Tom Silva elected/continued as Chair, 5-0.
  • Vice Chair: (Vice Chair continued; name not stated in transcript during the motion) elected/continued as Vice Chair, 5-0.

5B — FY 2024–2025 Annual Review: Rent Review Ordinance & Tenant Relocation Assistance

Staff report highlights (reporting period: July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025):

  • Rent Review Ordinance (RRO):
    • 28 inquiries received by ECHO Housing related to the RRO.
    • 20 inquiries from tenants; 8 from landlords.
    • 11 inquiries were ineligible for a Rent Review Board hearing.
    • Eligible cases were reported as resolved through mutual agreement between tenant and landlord.
    • 3 cases involved rent increase notices being revised to comply with ordinance requirements.
    • 0 Rent Review Board hearings occurred during the report period.
  • Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance (TRAO):
    • 19 inquiries received by ECHO related to TRAO.
    • 12 from tenants; 7 from housing providers/property owners.
    • 2 households reported receiving relocation assistance.
    • 3 referred to legal services.
    • 11 inquiries were not eligible under the ordinance.
  • Rent data: Staff stated average rents continue to grow and San Leandro’s rents remain slightly below the Alameda County average.
    • Data sources discussed: Yardi Matrix and RentCafe. Staff noted Yardi Matrix data represented approximately 2,919 units in San Leandro (a subset of the market).

Board questions and concerns:

  • Board members questioned whether the report sufficiently “assessed effectiveness” as required by the enabling rules, and requested more context such as:
    • Historical comparisons (pre-COVID years; pre/post AB 1482).
    • Whether RRO and TRAO inquiries overlap (staff stated they did not analyze overlap and acknowledged it could be added in the future).
    • Limitations and coverage of Yardi/RentCafe data vs. smaller landlords not captured.
    • Correcting a typo noted by a board member: AB 1482 date listed as 2029 should be 2019.
  • Staff explained ECHO’s role includes education/mediation; many issues are resolved once parties are informed about notice rules and state law caps.

Public comment on Item 5B:

  • Sierra Diaz (landlord): Explained Yardi reporting often uses A/B/C property categories and smaller buildings may fall into “C.” Expressed concern that lowering allowable increases could reduce property improvements; provided cost examples (speaker statements): security costs “close to $8,000/month,” trash bills “$10,000–$12,000/month,” and contamination fees of “$87 per item” flagged by trash-company cameras.
  • Mark Yanowitz/Janowitz: Argued the annual report should explicitly address effectiveness of the program. Stated the city’s rent registry should improve data quality. Stated concerns about property maintenance should be addressed through code enforcement and that proposed rent stabilization policies should allow petitions to ensure landlords obtain a fair/constitutional return.
  • Ginny Madison: Stated she receives frequent calls from tenants trying to understand their options and asserted that ECHO Housing’s call-handling across multiple jurisdictions may limit detail. Asked to see what ECHO’s “grid”/records look like and wanted more detail on what callers are told (including mobile home-related guidance). Shared anecdotal examples: a tenant at Gateway facing a stated 20% rent increase; a unit listed at $2,199 remained vacant ~3 months then reduced to $1,895; tenants moving from downtown San Leandro to the Central Valley for cheaper rent.

Board deliberation themes:

  • Whether the program is functioning primarily as a screening/education system (through ECHO) rather than producing hearings.
  • Whether mediation should remain with ECHO (expertise) or shift toward the Board; staff emphasized ECHO’s specialized housing-law mediation role and noted tenants must choose to pursue a hearing.
  • Interest in obtaining ECHO’s process (e.g., an SOP/flow chart) describing how inquiries are triaged and when parties are informed/encouraged to seek a hearing.

City Staff Announcement (Future Policy Work)

  • Staff announced City Council will meet December 8, 2025 to review a draft rent stabilization ordinance and program cost options. Materials to be posted at sanleandro.org/housingprotections.

Board Reports / Announcements

  • A board member distributed Craigslist listings for San Leandro 1BR/2BR units and asserted the market is “very soft” and that asking rents (e.g., around $1,900/month for some 1BRs) appeared lower than figures cited in the Yardi/RentCafe-based report.
  • The same board member announced retiring as a rental housing advocate and stated they were “celebrating 10 months of recovery,” and noted they are no longer a director of CAA.
  • Another board member clarified that Chair Silva had not been Chair for the full 10-year period referenced by a public commenter, and stated that pre-COVID the Board had “lots of cases,” with frequency affected by COVID and AB 1482.

Key Outcomes

  • Minutes approved (Oct. 22, 2024): 5-0.
  • Chair election: Tom Silva elected/continued as Chair, 5-0.
  • Vice Chair election: Vice Chair elected/continued, 5-0.
  • FY 2024–2025 annual review accepted/recommended to City Council: Board approved the report as presented, 5-0.
  • Formal Board recommendation/direction to City Council (separate motion): Board voted 5-0 to notify City Council that under AB 1482, Alameda County regional CPI stated as 1.3% effective Aug. 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026, resulting in a 6.3% cap (5% + CPI), which is below San Leandro’s 7% Rent Review Board hearing threshold—meaning rent increases may be capped below the level that would trigger Board hearings.
  • Next steps: Annual review to be presented to City Council at a future regular meeting; City Council scheduled to review a draft rent stabilization ordinance on Dec. 8, 2025.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. Today is Tuesday, October 28, 2025, and this is a meeting of the San Leandro Rent Review Board. Will the clerk call to order? First we have the Pledge of Allegiance. Okay, we have... So, lights over here. Please stand. Repeat after me. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Please call the roll. Board Member Canale. Here. Board Member Spreer? Here. Board Member Silva? Here. Board Member Oliveira? Here. Board Member Usley? Here. All right. We're all here. Announcements. Staff? If someone wishes to make a public comment this evening, please submit a speaker card to the city staff before the item is presented. During the designated public comment period, speakers will be invited to speak and will have a set time to share their comments. up to three minutes. Speakers can come up to the table here where there's the chair and staff will maintain the time by setting a timer and will notify the speakers when their time has ended. Thank you. All right next item on the agenda is the minutes. We have the minutes of our meeting of October 22nd, 2024. We received the minutes in the board packet. Chair Silva? Yes. I have a question. I believe that we met after that date because I was at that meeting of 1024 and I missed the next meeting because I broke my ankle. It was a meeting I think when we had elections for you know appointed a new chair and vice chair or whatever over again. Steph? We can confirm that the last meeting of the review board was October 22nd 2024 I believe the last elections of the chair and vice chair was the prior meeting which would have been in October 2023 so I wonder if that is the meeting you're thinking of yeah no I specifically remember missing a meeting hearing about it like why wasn't I there when I was expected and it's like I had broken my leg that day or the right around that time and it was not quite mobile you're saying you agree there Ginny oh so I'm so nobody else recalls a meeting after that no okay all right so I think the process would be if there aren't any questions it's about the minutes then we would then do public comment well first don't we have to vote to approve the minutes I believe there needs to be public comment before there is an action okay is there anybody that like to make comment on the minutes as presented on the minutes you know we're going to have multiple public the comment times. Okay. Pretty much on every item. So yes, Virginia. I think they can pick you up from here. Yeah, I'm coming. Okay. So unfortunately, I didn't read the minutes, but I want to corroborate what was remembered here. There were two meetings. One was to try to resolve all of the discrepancy or the discussion about what kind of election was going to be accepted.

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