This Bay Area City Is Cracking Down on Landlord Neglect

No matter how many times she scrubs and paints, the black mold on Zenaida Gomez’s apartment walls always comes back.

Equally as stubborn, however, is the Richmond tenant herself, who’s determined to make her two-bedroom apartment of 20 years safe for her and her children.

“I’m worried because I have my three youngest children,” Gomez said in Spanish. Her five children have grown up in the apartment. “They have allergies, and one of my sons suffers from asthma because of the damp walls.”

Previously, landlords were allowed to self-certify that their buildings were up-to-code. The onus had largely been on renters like Gomez to drive such improvements by filing complaints with the city. However, a new city ordinance, which takes effect Thursday, alleviates some of that burden by making city inspections routine every three years.

Richmond’s new rule, which garnered unanimous City Council support last month, is just the latest win for housing advocates in the city, which already boasts some of the strongest tenant protections in California, including rent control, eviction protections and an ordinance prohibiting tenant-harassment.

“We’re just really excited because [the inspections were] kind of one of the last important pieces to making Richmond really have some of the best tenant protections,” said Leah Simon-Weisberg, a longtime tenants rights attorney and director of the California Center for Movement Legal Services.

Simon-Weisberg, who helped spearhead the new legislation, said inspections are expected to begin later this year.

“Hopefully, what changes for many landlords [is] that they can’t just ignore their buildings,” Simon-Weisberg said. “That when they’re making repairs, they’re a little bit more long-term repairs because they’re going to have the city come in and check.”

Representatives from the East Bay Housing Association and California Apartment Association did not respond to requests for comment. The California Rental Housing Association declined. But Simon-Weisberg said that in earlier conversations with city officials, several landlords, who are responsible for funding inspections, raised concerns that more regular reviews would increase their costs.

Landlords must pay a $102 annual registration fee in addition to a $204 per-unit inspection fee at the beginning of each three-year cycle. If inspectors find a violation and need to return, the reinspection fees cost $87.

Landlords are on the hook to pay for repairs, but if they need help defraying that cost, they can petition to raise rents beyond what is normally allowed under Richmond’s rent control ordinance.

Simon-Weisberg said the city also plans to help connect landlords with available federal funds, if they choose to make repairs with more environmentally friendly alternatives. She said that could include replacing gas with electric appliances or the installation of double-paned windows.

A spokesperson from the California Energy Commission confirmed the state has already received the first $80 million of $290 million in federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act and has begun distributing the money to eligible property owners. However, future funds could be imperiled by President Donald Trump’s attempts to rescind funding for climate and clean energy projects through a recent executive order.

Gomez said the city has stepped in at her behest over the years, ordering repairs — such as a bathroom fan or stove hood — but with no regular oversight, the work has been slow going and inadequate, if it’s done at all.

“They came and put in a range hood, but it wasn’t in line with what the city was requesting,” Gomez said. “They put in a [bathroom] fan, which isn’t what the city requires, and then tell me they’ll change it out… They were going to send me a dehumidifier, but after all these months, they haven’t sent one.”

Attempts to reach Gomez’s landlords, Michael and Elaine Lau, were unsuccessful.

While Gomez has been vocal about her unit’s problems, she said others might not speak up for fear they’ll be targeted and displaced — something she hopes the new program will help circumvent. The goal for Gomez, who has worked for years alongside many of her neighbors and the nonprofit Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) on such initiatives, is a cleaner Richmond for all.

“We know our outside air is already contaminated by Chevron, right? And we know that our inside air is also contaminated. That’s why I joined the organization to fight for a better environment inside and out,” Gomez said.

Simon-Weisberg said inspections are expected to begin later this year.