The Ordinance further requires the accrued interest on these deposits to be refunded to the tenants each December either in cash or through a rent reduction. Tenants in Berkeley can only be evicted for good cause. Rent Stabilization Ordinance prohibits evictions except for good cause, such as non-payment of rent or a breach of a material term of the lease. Under the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, the landlord cannot change the terms of the lease unilaterally, cannot require the tenant to sign a new lease with different terms and cannot force a tenant to leave except for good cause. The landlord cannot evict a tenant or force a tenant to move just because the lease is up or just because he or she wants to set new terms.
Tenants have the right to live in a unit that is safe and habitable.
If the unit has health and safety problems, like a leak in the roof, lack of heat, leaks in the bathroom, a tenant can require the landlord to fix these problems. First, the tenant must inform the landlord of the problem, preferably in writing. The landlord will be cited and required to correct any problems in the unit. The tenant may also file a petition for a decrease in rent with the Rent Board. The tenant continues to violate a material term of the rental agreement after a written request to stop the violation.