Not so long ago, the rent board moved into a new, plush office space, and the staff are paid handsomely. But they can’t seem to iron out kinks in their rent registry.

We recall that in 2023, many Berkeley homeowners got a bill in the mail for failing to register their properties, even though they were not rented out.

 

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Fast forward to today and it’s happening again. Let that sink in for a moment. 

Imagine that you own a property with no tenants, and you get a bill in the mail from the rent board. You’ve worked hard to achieve the American dream of home ownership and there are dues to pay. Property taxes, etc.

But now the unsuspecting homeowner, not renting out their property, gets another bill from the rent board?

 

The adage is that ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.

If somebody smashes a car window or assaults another person, they should know that such conduct violates the law.

But it may not be so evident that failure to register a property with a local rent board is violative of an ordinance.

Most homeowners do not follow Bornstein Law or join an industry trade group for rental housing providers. Why? They have no renters.

It’s a young couple with two children who purchased their first home. Or a senior gentleman who has recently retired and bought a home closer to his adult children. They don’t know the rent board from a board of chess.

The onus now, then, falls on real estate professionals to educate owners and prospective buyers that these newfangled rent registries exist. If there is any doubt, contact our office. We can go through a series of questions of what law applies.