Have you been evicted from your rental property for a remodel? We want to hear about it.
Have you ever been asked to move out of a rental home so the property owner can make improvements?
If so, you might have been the subject of a “renoviction,” a practice used by some landlords to remove a tenant from a property on the basis of a “substantial remodel.”
“Renovictions” are done for a wide range of legal reasons — but can sometimes be exploited and used to remove unwanted tenants, replace existing tenants with new ones who can be charged a higher rent or even just to take the home off the rental market for sale or to use as an owned residential property.
When used in bad faith, a landlord might only make minor repairs or cosmetic upgrades to the property, but will claim the remodel is substantial enough to justify removing a tenant.
Recently, the Santa Barbara City Council tightened its laws surrounding renovictions, requiring property owners to provide tenants and the city with permits and a written notice outlining the reason they terminated the lease, the extent of the work being done and why the work could not be done safely while the tenant is still present.
The Tribune is interested in exploring the phenomenon in San Luis Obispo County. If you are a landlord or tenant, we want to hear about your experience with renovictions. Fill out the form below to share your thoughts and stories.
If you’re having trouble viewing the form, you can also view it here.
This story was originally published July 31, 2023 at 1:14 PM.
