Novato City Council Introduces Tenant Protections Ordinance

The City of Novato introduced an ordinance to strengthen protections, reduce displacement and ensure safer and more stable housing for renters while keeping key rights in place for landlords.

At its regular meeting of March 24, 2026, the Novato City Council introduced a Tenant Protections Ordinance designed to strengthen protections for renters who are forced to move through no fault of their own. These situations include temporary or permanent displacement caused by major repair work or when the building is ordered to be vacated for safety reasons.

The ordinance keeps all existing State-law protections for landlords if a tenant is at fault (including non-payment of rent and lease violations) while adding local requirements such as relocation assistance and the right for return for displaced residents subject to no fault evictions.

Key features of the Tenant Protections Ordinance include:

• When a building is red-tagged or needs major repairs: Tenants get extra protections, including relocation assistance and the right to return once the home is safe again. If the reason for displacement is a natural disaster, the City's additional requirements do not apply.
• When a landlord moves into the home or removes it from the rental market: The landlord must provide a permanent relocation payment to help the tenant move.
• Exception for small property owners: Owner-occupied and Individually owned (non-corporate) single unit rental properties such as condos and single-family homes keep the same exemption rights as under current state law.
• Requires fair and clear communication: Requires landlords to provide written notice of tenant rights in English and Spanish or any language requested by the tenant.

The City's approach to this ordinance was informed by its Housing Element (adopted in 2024) which included a goal to prevent displacement and ensure tenant protections, as well as information gathered at in-person and virtual community meetings in English and Spanish from tenants, landlords and housing advocates.

Last year, the City red-tagged a 14-unit apartment building at Romar Court due to substandard living conditions. This resulted in the displacement of nine families and required a coordinated effort between the City and local partner organizations to provide relocation support, rental assistance and legal services because the landlord failed to respond. The City provided each household with relocation assistance equal to two months market-rate rent, along with support for utility deposits. Each household received $7,236.

"The City committed to stronger tenant protections, especially for its working families and vulnerable residents, in our Housing Element. The situation at Romar Court was a difficult and serious reminder of why these protections matter so much. We've heard from both tenants and landlords, and this ordinance strikes a fair balance between their needs. It provides important protections for tenants while avoiding unnecessary burdens on the majority of responsible landlords," said Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Jacobs.

Mayor Farac and Councilmember Eklund recused themselves from the discussion and vote on this item due to their ownership of rental property. The Tenant Protections Ordinance is scheduled to return to Council at its April 28, 2026 meeting for potential adoption. If adopted, the ordinance would become effective 30 days later.

Additional information is available at novato.gov/housingelement.