We’re back! In 2020, we’ll continue to highlight plenty of horror rentals in the Bay Area. But before we jump into the listings for this month, we want to make sure that you’re aware of four state housing laws that came into effect January 1.
- AB 1482: Rent cap and tenant protections: This law caps rent increases at 5% plus inflation until January 1, 2030. It also prohibits landlords from evicting tenants without just cause (an ordinance already implemented in Oakland). Certain rentals are exempt, such as those less than 15 years old, duplexes where the owner occupies one of the units and single-family homes, except when owned by corporations or real estate investment trusts.
- AB 68: Accessory dwelling units: With a push for more housing, this streamlines the process for homeowners to build in-law units under 850 square feet behind their main property. It also moves up the timeline to approve a building application from 120 days to 60 days.
- SB 329: Housing voucher discrimination: Landlords will now be prohibited from denying renting available units to low-income individuals with a Section 8 voucher, which help roughly 300,000 California low-income residents who have an income of less than 80% of an area’s median income.
- SB 652: Display of religious items: This law prohibits landlords from stopping tenants from displaying religious figures or frames from being displayed on any entry door.
Now that you’re all caught up with the new housing laws of 2020, let’s get to the atrocious listings we came across this month.
A claustrophobic space within a living room
This space for rent in San Leandro offers a tiny 5-by-9.5-foot area within the living room equipped with a twin-size bed, a clothes rack, and swathed with curtains for “privacy.” The entire apartment is shared by six female roommates. This unfortunate situation does come in cheap at $395 a month, as it should. The setbacks (other than that you’re sleeping in the living room): You’re discouraged from cooking, and if you have items to store, you’re gonna have to take your items elsewhere and pay for a separate storage unit. Bonus, though (not really): If you want to get a rent discount you can do “light daily house cleaning (mostly in the bathrooms).” The poster says they’re willing to pay $5 for 15 minutes each day plus $20 for one hour once each weekend. That means you’re blessed with an optional rent reduction of up to $200/month possible (10 hours total).
A chaotic shared warehouse
This space up for grabs somewhere in North Oakland doesn’t specify how many people you’ll be sharing the warehouse with. At $575 a month, you don’t have to worry about utilities — but given the look of the kitchen, you might have a hard time doing any cooking considering how jam-packed it is with an abundance of dishes, pots, pans, and pantry items overflowing on the counters. While we can’t speak to the safety of this particular warehouse, it may also be best to consider the safety of rentals like this — the painful memories of the Ghost Ship warehouse fire that took the lives of 36 people in December of 2016 is still fresh in people’s minds. While a lot of renters are struggling to find affordable places to live, a crowded warehouse space is questionable.
A cheap room that is most likely a scam
You know the listings that seem just too good to be true or off in some way? Chances are, they are. This one lists a room for rent for under $400. The listing shows a generic photo of a bedroom along with selfies of a beautiful woman, who definitely does not live at this fake place. The post says that the room comes furnished, with a private bath, and utilities included. The ad asks that you visit: roomiesafety.com or roomie48.info. The websites listed take you to roomster.com where you can “login” with one of your social media profiles. (We didn’t do it, because we’re not idiots.) Have you heard about these websites? Let us know!
A 225 square-foot studio without a kitchen
This “studio” located along the border of Hayward / Castro Valley in the East Bay offers a whopping 225 square feet of space, plus an equally tiny bathroom. The sink is in the main living quarters. There is no kitchen other than a mini-fridge, a hot plate, and a microwave. The tiny space provides no storage — not even a closet — for $900 a month, utilities included.
An attic with discount rent in exchange for labor
This type of rental pops up occasionally, and the legality of it is still a gray area. This 400 square foot attic room in Berkeley advertises for $1,000 a month including utilities. The ad says that the rent for this room is typically $1,200 but the couple listing this rental (and who you’ll share the home with) want someone to do 20 hours of “housework, running errands, cleaning & organizing,” in exchange for $200 off the monthly rent. The room comes semi-furnished with a private bathroom and access to the kitchen and laundry. The specifics of the housework are not listed.
A bed next to the kitchen
Back in the pre-tech boom days, you could find an actual studio with a full kitchen for $600 in Oakland. Today, you might randomly come across a “converted” living or dining room for this price. This converted space in Berkeley next to the kitchen gives you: a bookshelf, curtains, and a twin-size bed for $600, in addition to the cost of internet and utilities.
That’s all we have this month. Thank you to all the readers who enjoy this column. We’ll see you next month with more! If you come across any shocking rentals, let us know.
