Invalid Eviction Notices Could Cost Landlords $11,758
A proposed fix to Alameda's Rent Ordinance would make landlords pay relocation money when an eviction notice never should have been sent in the first place.
By The Alameda Pulse
Alameda's City Council will take up a fix to the city's Rent Ordinance on September 15, 2026, that would require landlords to pay relocation money, up to $11,758, to tenants who move out after getting an eviction notice the ordinance never actually allowed.
- What: An amendment to Alameda Municipal Code Article XV, the city's Rent Ordinance
- Where: Alameda City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Avenue, Council Chambers, 3rd Floor
- When: First reading Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 7 p.m.
- Cost: $8,799 for a displaced tenant in a two-bedroom unit, $11,758 if that tenant is a senior or has a disability
- Who's behind it: The Alameda City Attorney's Office and the city's Rent Program
What loophole is the city trying to close?
The fix is spelled out in a staff report from Alameda's City Attorney's Office. Right now, a landlord who kicks out a tenant for a reason the Rent Ordinance doesn't allow can end up owing nothing, as long as the tenant already left. The ordinance lets a landlord end a tenancy two ways: "for cause," like nonpayment of rent, which owes no relocation money, or "no fault," like an owner moving in, which requires a relocation payment. What it never spelled out is what happens with an "invalid" or "no cause" notice that isn't allowed under either category. If a tenant relies on that bad notice and moves out before anyone catches the mistake, current law doesn't force the landlord to pay. The new ordinance closes that gap.
How much would landlords owe tenants?
The dollar figures depend on the unit and the tenant. A tenant who isn't in a protected group and gets displaced from a two-bedroom unit would be owed $8,799. A senior or disabled tenant, what the ordinance calls a "qualified tenant household," displaced from the same size unit would be owed $11,758. City staff say landlords already have to try to undo the damage first: rescind the invalid notice and offer to restore the tenancy at no cost to the tenant, including covering moving costs, before relocation payments even come into play.
What else does the ordinance fix?
The ordinance also restores a sentence that fell out of the Rent Ordinance by accident. When the council amended rules on utility adjustments in June, it dropped language clarifying that the once-every-12-months cap on rent increases only applies to units not already exempt from rent control under state law, like most single-family homes. This puts that sentence back.
What happens next for Alameda tenants?
The council takes this up as a first reading on September 15. There's no cost to the city, since the Rent Program is already funded. If approved that night, the ordinance still needs a second, final vote before it's enforceable, so nothing changes right away. Renters who think they got an invalid termination notice can reach Alameda's Rent Program with questions. For more on city decisions affecting Alameda renters, see the Pulse's news coverage.
