Our tenant lawyers have helped more than 10,000 renters successful navigate threats of evictions, Owner move-in evictions, Ellis Act evictions, landlord harassment, discrimination, repair and habitability issues, and more. Our knowledge of the intricacies of state and local renter’s rights is unmatched. We litigate aggressively, maximize leverage, and have an impeccable success rate. Most importantly, we understand how stressful it is to be a tenant in the Bay Area and are fiercely committed to the protection of and expansion of tenant rights.
Our tenant lawyers have seen firsthand the results of landlords attempting to take advantage of tenants in order to maximize their profits. Landlords operate on the assumption that tenants do not know their rights and do not have the means to protect themselves through legal representation. The balance of power between landlords and tenants is vastly unequal. We seek to reduce this inequity by representing tenants only and fighting for a just outcome on their behalf.
Tenants rights and protections in the City of Oakland are increasingly under threat and undermined by unscrupulous landlords. Recently, Oakland’s Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO) was expanded to address the growing need to safeguard renter protections. Oakland now has some of the strongest rent control and eviction control laws in the country.
If you are an Oakland tenant and feel that your rights are being violated by your landlord, call Tobener Ravenscroft LLP to speak with an experienced tenant attorney.
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The Oakland City Council adopted the Rent Adjustment Program (RAP) Ordinance (OMC Chapter 8.22) in 1980. This ordinance sets the maximum annual rent increase based on the annual CPI increase, handles rent adjustments for claims of decreases in housing services and handles other rent related matters. The purpose of this program is to foster fair housing for a diverse population of renters and enforce the Rent Adjustment Ordinance set out by the City of Oakland. If you have questions or concerns about a rent increase or the timing of a rent increase, please call an Oakland tenant attorney.
Before sending a tenant a written notice to vacate for substantial repairs, the landlord must obtain all necessary permits from the City of Oakland. The eviction must be in good faith and be for substantial repairs that cannot be completed while the unit is occupied. The substantial repairs must be necessary either to bring the property into compliance with applicable codes and laws affecting health and safety of tenants of the building, or under an outstanding notice of code violations affecting the health and safety of tenants of the building. You will want to speak to an experienced Oakland tenant lawyer to discuss your options.
Read About The Oakland Relocation Program →
What units are covered by the Oakland Buyout Ordinance? The Oakland Buyout Ordinance applies to all residential rental units in Oakland, except publicly owned or operated rentals.
What is my landlord required to do before approaching me about a buyout? The Oakland Buyout Ordinance requires landlords to provide each tenant in a rental unit with a City approved form informing each tenant that, in part: (i) the tenant can refuse to participate buyout negotiations; (ii) the landlord cannot retaliate against a tenant for refusing to participate in buyout negotiations; (iii) following a tenant’s refusal to engage in buyout negotiations, repeated attempts to start buyout negotiations constitute harassment; (v) the tenant has twenty-five days to rescind a buyout, but can agree to a shorter period of not less than fifteen days; (vi) the tenant may be eligible for relocation payments; (vii) an owner who violates the Oakland Buyout Ordinance may face penalties if the tenant is elderly, disabled, or catastrophically ill.
Oakland Buyout Ordinance FAQs →
All residential rental units in Oakland are covered by the Oakland Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance, with the following exceptions:
Landlord harassment is illegal. California state law and local city ordinances protect tenants against harassment. Whether physical or verbal, all landlord harassment has the same goal—to force the tenant to move out. The Oakland Rent Ordinance’s prohibition against landlord harassment is similar to San Francisco’s ordinance. Oakland, Cal., Mun. Code § 8.22.600. Under Oakland’s Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO). Call our Oakland Tenant Lawyers Today if your landlord is harassing you.
"Jackie took over my case, and she was a pleasure to work with. I felt like I could completely trust her throughout the process and know that she would promote my best interests and give me sound advice. She was always honest with me about what was going on and what to expect. I felt confident with her by my side and the case did end in a favorable way for me. I would recommend them to any tenant who is having serious legal issues with a landlord (such as low-income unit violations and/or wrongful evictions). "
"I was very impressed with Tobener Ravenscroft's depth of knowledge as well as their creativity in problem solving. This is not to say that I'm actively looking forward to another issue requiring the help of an SF tenant lawyer - only that Tobener Ravenscroft is a fantastic teammate if one is dealing with the "Hunger Games" vibe of the Bay Housing landscape these days."
"Shortly after moving into a new place we had an encounter with our landlord which resulted in us needing to break our lease immediately for our safety. We knew we needed find a tenant lawyer and our choice of Tobener Ravenscroft was the best decision we made. Ms. Ravenscroft, was top notch and did not hesitate in helping us get clear of a bad situation fast. These guys are the best, I could not imagine working with any other tenant lawyers."
"Joe and everyone at Tobener Ravenscroft Law were wonderful and helped me and my roommates get back owed rent from our landlord that wrongfully evicted us. They made the process as easy as it could be and helpful through the process."
"I've been working with Jacqueline Ravenscroft and it has been as good an experience as I can possibly imagine. Smart, caring, efficient, generous, sharp as a tack! In the midst of my landlord threatening me with various evictions scenarios and finally filing one of them, I have felt very panicky and freaked out - the only thing that calms me down is knowing that I have the BEST tenant lawyer possible and am totally covered legally with a badass attorney I know I can count on, who knows her stuff and has my back. HUGELY IMPORTANT STUFF."
"I have been a lawyer for 24 years (mostly as a partner at fancy pants international firms), and Joe is one of the best lawyers I have come across. He did an amazing job for me and my family. Despite being a lawyer, I don't like conflict and litigation/mediation, but Joe did a great job of nicely shepherding us through the process to a good outcome. Simply put, he is amazing."
"Tobener Ravenscroft represented my family through a Wrongful Eviction lawsuit. I could not possibly recommend them more highly. Jackie, Joe and Christa were all communicative, thorough, skilled, compassionate, professional and reliable. We knew we were in good hands throughout the process and that really helped to reduce the stress of being wrongfully evicted. Because they know tenant law here in Oakland, they were able to negotiate a meaningful settlement for us. Were I to encounter any sort of tenant/landlord issue again, I would go straight to Tobener Ravenscroft. I highly recommend them."
"Our family was wrongfully evicted by an illegal OMI immediately after our youngest daughter was born and just as the Oakland housing market was skyrocketing. The attorneys at Tobener Ravenscroft are an example of lawyers as justice warriors! They were empathetic, thorough, and professional through the entire process. They were always responsive and took time to explain the process, answer questions, and prepare us for the deposition and settlement conference. They were extremely savvy and successful in getting us a large settlement that significantly exceeded what we ever imagined we could get! We are deeply appreciative of their support during this difficult time and give them our highest recommendation!"
If you need help, call Tobener Ravenscroft LLP to speak with an experienced tenant attorney.
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