When we won the lawsuit in April 2017, many landlords in Mountain View complied with the rollback and lowered tenants’ rent (to October 2015 levels), starting in May 2017.  Now that the CSFRA effective date of December 23, 2016 has been acknowledged, however, the rollback should have been in effect for January, February, March and April of 2017 too. Tenants who paid their higher rent in those four months are entitled to reimbursement for the amount they overpaid.

For example, assume your rent in October 2015 was $1,800/month, but in April 2017 it was $2,100. If your landlord was complying with the law, he probably lowered your rent back to $1800/month starting in May. But now he should pay you back for the four months of 2017 that you paid the $2,100. He should pay you back $1,200 (4 x $300)!! Click HERE to download a flyer with another example of this second rollback. (If your landlord didn’t give you the rollback starting in May, he owes you even more.)

You can ask your landlord to write you a check for the reimbursement. You can also make an arrangement with your landlord to reduce the rent you pay for a few months until you have recovered the amount you are owed.  Click HERE to download a sample letter you can send to your landlord asking for the reimbursement.

If your landlord refuses to give you this rollback, you have options! You can file a petition with the Rental Housing Committee, or file a case in small claims court.

There are FREE LAWYERS available to help you understand and enforce your rights. They may even be able to write the letter to your landlord for you and/or represent you in a case if your landlord does not comply. If you would like legal assistance, you can call either of these numbers:

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (serves Mountain View): 650-391-0354
• Law Foundation of Silicon Valley (serves Mountain View): 408-280-2424

It is illegal for your landlord to retaliate against you for exercising your rights.