Concord adopts a more sensible housing policy by striking a balance between landlords and tenants

It is exceedingly rare that a city with strict rent control revisits its ordinance to recognize the hardships of landlords. Concord has broken this precedent by rolling back tenant protections after taking a hard look at its Residential Tenant Protection Program on the eve of its first anniversary.

The revised ordinance will now allow annual rent increases up to 5% flat, and exempt most single-family homes and condos from "just cause" eviction protections. The new regulatory regime will go into effect on May 22, 2025. Until then, our advice is to follow the current regulatory regime.

We find these modest revisions to be encouraging not only to owners of properties in Concord but to rental housing providers everywhere because they signal a seismic shift in public policy that aims to strike a balance between landlords and tenants.

Hopefully, other locales in our region follow suit by crafting policies that enable renters to anticipate rent increases while allowing landlords to keep up with the ever-rising costs of operating a rental business.

Whenever there is a chapter change in the tenancy, it is strongly advised that housing providers consult proper counsel before any adjustments are made.