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Tenants and advocates urge DBI to address unit-number changes that may obscure eviction histories
Summary
Community members asked DBI to restore unit numbers and clarify procedures after they say unit renumbering erased an eviction history tied to the Ellis Act; DBI said parcel-level history remains and it will notify the Rent Board of address changes going forward.
Several members of the public used the commission’s public-comment period to press the Department of Building Inspection for clearer procedures after unit-number changes that advocates say disrupted monitoring of eviction and rental histories.
A community representative supporting a resident named Jose described a long history of dispute and asked the commission for a public hearing and for DBI to restore original unit numbers. The representative said renumbering had removed a unit’s visible eviction history associated with an Ellis Act case and urged a policy or procedural change so the public and enforcement agencies could track affected units.
Director Vivian Day responded that unit history remains attached to the parcel in DBI’s system and that the Rent Board would be added to the list of agencies notified when an address change occurs. Day said rolling back a prior address change is only possible at the property owner’s request and that DBI has already begun notifying the Rent Board of address changes going forward.
Advocates asked for clearer public-facing policies and a hearing to resolve Jose’s case; the commission and Day agreed to investigate and follow up, and Day said staff would look into the matter.
