The Prosecution and Public Rights Unit of the Alameda City Attorney’s Office announced they have reached a settlement with an Alameda landlord who had refused to repay $20,211 in excess rent to a tenant, even after a Hearing Officer ordered they do so.
The tenant had filed a rent reduction petition with Alameda’s Rent Program claiming that their landlord had for years refused to provide the apartment with proper heating, according to a news release issued by the City. The Hearing Officer agreed and directed that the rent be reduced until the heating was fixed, and ordered the landlord to reimburse the tenant $20,211 for past excess rent over the prior three years (due to the absence of heating).
The tenant also alleged that the landlord harassed them repeatedly in an effort to make them move out at a time when the landlord was trying to sell the building.
In November 2025, after the landlord persistently refused to pay the $20,211 owed to the tenant or cease their harassment activities, the City Attorney’s Office filed an enforcement action against the landlord in Alameda County Superior Court to enforce the Hearing Officer’s decision. The case settled shortly thereafter.
Know your rights
The City Attorney’s Office helps to enforce state and local housing laws. If a landlord refuses to provide basic services or repair broken items, tenants can file a rent reduction petition with the City’s Rent Program…