Oakland Mun. Code Chapter 8.22 § 8.22.860
Violation—Penalty (Oakland Rent Adjustment Program and Just Cause for Eviction Ordinances)
Operative Text
A. Criminal Penalties. 1. Infraction. Any property Owner violating any provision or failing to comply with any requirements of this article shall be guilty of an infraction for the first offense. 2. Misdemeanor. Any property Owner violating any provision or failing to comply with any requirements of this article multiple times shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. B. Administrative Penalties. 1. Administrative Citation. Any person violating any provision or failing to comply with any requirements of this article may be assessed an administrative citation pursuant to O.M.C. Chapter 1.12 for the first offense. 2. Civil Penalties. Any person violating any provision or failing to comply with any requirements of this article multiple times may be assessed a civil penalty for each violation pursuant to O.M.C. Chapter 1.08 . C. Violation includes attempted violation. In addition to failing to comply with this article, it is also violation to attempt to have a Tenant accept terms that fail to comply with this article, including any of the following actions: 1. Asking the Tenant to accept an agreement that pays less than the required relocation payments; 2. Asking the Tenant to accept an agreement that waives the Tenant's rights; or 3. Upon a return to the unit, asking the Tenant to pay a higher rent than is permitted under this article or O.M.C. Chapter 8.22 .
Oakland Mun. Code § 8.22.860 establishes a tiered penalty structure for violations of the article's requirements, escalating from an infraction for a first offense to a misdemeanor for repeat violations, with parallel administrative citations and civil penalties also available. Notably, the rule treats attempted violations—such as asking a tenant to accept below-required relocation payments, sign away their rights, or pay impermissible rent upon return—as equivalent to completed violations.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 8.22.860, property owners and managers in Oakland should ensure full compliance with every requirement of the article, because both first-time and repeat failures can trigger criminal charges, administrative citations, or civil penalties. Compliant operators generally avoid presenting tenants with any agreement or request that falls short of required relocation amounts, waives tenant rights, or imposes rent above the permitted level upon a tenant's return—since even an attempt to do so constitutes a violation.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 8.22.860 gives tenants meaningful protection: if an owner asks you to accept less than the required relocation payment, sign away your rights, or pay above-permitted rent upon returning to your unit, that request itself is treated as a violation of Oakland's rules. Tenants who believe an owner has violated or attempted to violate these requirements may consider filing a complaint with Oakland's Rent Adjustment Program, raising the violation as a defense in any related proceeding, or reaching out to a local tenant-rights organization for guidance.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 5, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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