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Richmond expands rental inspections, adds tenant habitability plan and decarbonization outreach
Summary
The City of Richmond updated its Residential Rental Inspection Program to inspect all covered rental units on a three‑year cycle, add a tenant habitability plan process and use inspections to promote energy‑saving and decarbonization opportunities for tenants and landlords.
The City of Richmond told the Transformative Climate Communities Steering Committee on Oct. 1 that updates to the Richmond Residential Rental Inspection Program will expand inspections so every covered rental unit is inspected at least once in a three‑year cycle, add a tenant habitability plan process and use inspections to share energy‑efficiency and decarbonization resources with tenants and landlords.
Kamene Ogede, a Partnership for the Bay’s Future fellow working with the city, said the program—commonly called RRIP—was created in 2005 and began inspections in February 2007. Under the prior approach, the city inspected a sample (about 20%) of units owned by a landlord; many unit types were exempt or self‑certified by owners. “Now 100% of the units that are covered by the program will be inspected over the next three years,” Ogede said.
Ogede said the RRIP updates, adopted in January, will also change who receives inspection notices: both tenants and landlords will get mailed notices rather than only owners. She described a new tenant habitability plan process that would require landlords to prepare plans when repairs affect habitability—examples include multi‑day water shutoffs or work that requires a tenant to relocate temporarily—and to share those plans with tenants; permits for certain repairs would not be issued until the plan process is completed. “A tenant habitability plan … would require landlords to consider if and how repairs would impact their tenants,” Ogede said. She added tenants will be able to appeal plans they consider insufficient.
City staff told the committee they are exploring bringing inspection work in‑house rather than relying on contractors after community concerns that some prior inspections were conducted only from the exterior. “An inspector is meant to come into the home, walk through every room … and they have a list of things that they have to review for every space in the home,” Ogede said in response to a resident’s report that some inspections had been exterior‑only.
Ogede also described how the inspection process will be used to promote energy‑saving and decarbonization measures. Inspectors and mailed materials will direct landlords to incentive programs that provide cash‑back or retrofit support for appliances and heating systems, and will give tenants information about free or low‑cost home energy assessments. “When you're doing inspections—fixing leaks, replacing appliances—you might as well use something that is more energy efficient,” she said, noting common violations (inoperable smoke detectors, blocked emergency exits, nonworking electrical outlets, plumbing and sewage leaks and mold) that inspections identify and that often affect energy use.
Committee members and public commenters asked about outreach to reach hard‑to‑reach tenants and whether gas appliances would be emphasized in the decarbonization materials; Ogede said outreach will include community organizations such as ACE, house meetings starting in October and presentations to tenant and worker groups. She confirmed incentive programs to replace gas stoves with electric were included in the materials to be mailed and noted that landlords must choose to undertake such retrofits or tenants must negotiate with landlords to access those incentives.
Ogede gave the RRIP contact email (richmondrrip@ci.richmond.ca.us) and said the city will publish inspection notices, informational flyers and guidelines to help tenants and landlords identify energy‑saving opportunities. She advised tenants who believe their home poses health or safety risks to call the program to request an inspection; Richmond ordinances include protections against landlord retaliation for such complaints.
The committee discussion included questions about the program timeline—inspections are active now but each covered unit’s scheduled inspection may occur at any point during the new three‑year cycle—and the city's work to finalize tenant habitability plan procedures and decarbonization guidelines.
