Rent Board reverses portion of hearing examiner award after remand; orders no additional tenant damages for appealed portion

The Richmond Rent Board voted unanimously to accept the city general counsel's recommendation to reverse a portion of a prior hearing examiner award after the tenants failed to submit evidence on remand to establish the property's base rent.

The vote took place at the board’s September 2025 special meeting. Vice Chair Cantor moved to accept General Counsel Charles Ochinuga’s recommendation; Board Member Willis seconded. Board Members Espinosa, Willis, Cantor and Chair Tipton voted yes; Board Member Hite was absent. The board instructed staff that a written decision will be issued to the parties within 30 days.

Why the board acted: The matter arose from an earlier hearing in which a hearing examiner awarded tenants a total of $37,369.43. The appellant (landlord) appealed only the portion of the award the hearing examiner attributed to overcharged rent, which the hearing examiner had calculated as $24,574.05; the Rent Board previously confirmed the remaining $12,795.38 as owed to the tenants. On remand the Rent Board ordered the record reopened for 30 days for the parties to submit evidence limited to the issue of base rent. According to city legal staff and…