Richmond council directs ordinance drafting to regulate tenant buyouts with strongest oversight

The Richmond City Council voted unanimously Thursday to direct the city attorney and the Richmond Rent Program to draft an ordinance that would regulate landlord ‘‘buyout’’ agreements under the rent board’s recommended option, the highest level of oversight.

The directive follows a presentation by Nicholas Traylor, executive director of the Richmond Rent Program, who told the council that “buyouts are happening all the time in Richmond” and described the policy features the rent board favors, including mandatory disclosures to tenants, a 45‑day rescission period and minimum compensation at least equal to relocation payments under the city’s relocation ordinance.

The ordinance the council asked staff to draft would require landlords to file buyout agreements with the rent program; provide counseling and forms in multiple languages; and create a public, redacted data set so staff and the public can monitor trends. Traylor said the rent program would also draft forms, host community workshops and maintain an annual database to report back to the board and council.

Council members asked questions about how the rules might treat different landlord types and about data on units that move in and out of the rental market. Council member Melvin Bana said he hoped the draft would “treat categories differently,” pointing to family members seeking to move in as an owner-occupant versus corporate property owners seeking market-rate resets. Traylor said the community engagement process will capture those concerns and possible refinements.

Council member Claudia Jimenez asked for data on landlords and on units exiting the rental market; Traylor said the rent program has records of units entering and leaving the rental market and can provide details to council. Council member Brown emphasized that community engagement would happen prior to ordinance adoption and that staff expects to return with draft language in the early calendar year after workshops.

The council’s action was procedural: it directed the city attorney to draft an ordinance incorporating the rent board’s option 3 oversight features and asked staff to conduct tenant and landlord outreach — including afternoon and evening meetings with childcare and Spanish translation — before returning the proposed ordinance for formal adoption. No ordinance text was adopted at Thursday’s meeting.

The rent program and community development staff will coordinate the public workshops and drafting. The council’s vote was unanimous.