Bay Area Lawyers Specializing in Tenant Buyouts
Tenant Buyouts in the Bay Area Can be Extremely Complex. Contact our Experienced Buyout Lawyers Today for a Free Consultation.
What We Do:
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Our lawyers help tenants in the Bay Area negotiate buyouts from their landlords.
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Our lawyers have assisted with buyouts throughout the Bay Area - including rent-controlled cities such as San Francisco and Oakland.
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We've helped negotiate buyouts involving tenants in rent-controlled multi-unit buildings and non-rent controlled single family homes.
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Buyouts are complex in the Bay Area because each situation is unique - which can vastly impact the value of the potential buyout.
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How much is your current rent versus the current market rent?​
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Have habitability claims previously been made or are any outstanding?
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What are the other legal options for a landlord to remove the tenant from the property?
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What are the landlord's plans for the property after you have vacated?
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How does the Tenant Buyout Process Work?
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​Every situation is different - and different cities may have different rules regarding the process.​
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Some cities require paperwork be delivered to the tenants or filed with a government entity before negotiations can begin.
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Even being "Ellis-Acted" has different rules throughout different cities.​
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Having knowledge of these rules allows you to best leverage your situation.
Some Thoughts to Consider - Is a Buyout Really Best for You?
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We typically ask the tenant these questions to start:
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What's your plan here? Where are you going to go?
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Where are you going to be 5 years from now? 10 years from now?
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Here's why it matters. If a landlord buys you out, ​a large chunk of money might be presented to you - possibly more than you've seen in your life. The problem is, if you have to relocate - how long is that money going to last? If you've been living on a fixed income - or have a budget planned for the future, you need to plan ahead. You could end up in a "math problem" pretty quickly.​
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Here's a simple example (and how it can apply differently base upon your specific situation):
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You currently pay $1,000 a month for a rent-controlled unit that has a market rent of $3,000 a month.
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The landlord offers you $20,000, but you want to stay in the same neighborhood - even though the market rent is $3,000 a month for a similar unit you'd like to rent.
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You take the money and move down the street into a similar unit - now paying $3,000 a month.
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Without factoring in any other issues relating to how much of that $20,000 ends up in your pocket, in less than a year, that $20,000 you accepted is gone...and you're still paying $3,000 a month. So, maybe accepting that $20,000 offer wasn't the best move.​
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However, it could be that you had no choice and were going to be legally evicted even if you didn't take the money - such as through a possible Ellis Act - so maybe taking the money is worthwhile. But, depending on what City you live in, you may have already been entitled to relocation fees; and if you were elderly or disabled, the timeline to evict you may have been longer than you initially thought.
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And what if that wasn't the situation? What a developer had bought the building and just wanted you out so they could convert the unit into a TIC - how much more is the unit worth without you in it? That increased value could give you leverage to ask for more money.
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Bottom line - the landlord is factoring in all these possibilities - you should be too.