Background

• The County is considering updating the ordinance to protect the rights of tenants and increase housing stability, while maintaining the tools and authority property owners need to manage and maintain their property.
• California law includes some tenant protections, but many jurisdictions in Santa Clara County have adopted more robust protections. 
• The proposed ordinance amendment will repeal and replace Division C5 of the County of Santa Clara Ordinance Code to expand just cause eviction protections and relocation assistance requirements for residential tenants in the unincorporated county.
• Proposed updates include expanded just cause eviction protection and relocation assistance requirements for residential tenants.
• The proposed ordinance code amendment was presented in the May 16, 2024 Housing, Land Use, Environment, and Transportation Committee meeting. 
  • Staff Report
  • Presentation
• The proposed ordinance was presented at a series of community meetings that took place in December 2024 - February 2025.
  • Presentation

Past meetings

The same material was covered at the meetings outlined below. 

Target Audience	Date/Time	Location
Renters	Thursday December 5, 2024 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.	Virtual Meeting Via Zoom
Property Owners	Monday December 9, 2024 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Virtual Meeting Via Zoom
Renters	Monday December 9, 2024 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.	Roosevelt Community Center 901 E. Santa Clara St San Jose, CA 95116
Renters	Postponed	Animal Services Shelter 12425 Monterey Road San Martin, CA 95046
Property Owners  and Renters	Wednesday February 19, 2025 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Virtual Meeting Via Zoom
Property Owners  and Renters	Wednesday February 26, 2025 2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Virtual Meeting Via Zoom

If you have questions about the meetings or help determining if your property is in the unincorporated area, please email [email protected] or call 408-278-6416.

Find out if the ordinance change would affect your property

The proposed ordinance change will only apply to properties in unincorporated Santa Clara County. To determine, if this may apply to you, follow the steps outlined below:

1. Visit https://geoess.sccgov.org/discovergis/sccmap
2. You may search a property by address or APN
   1. Click on Address or Intersection to search by address
   2. Click on APN to search by APN
3. Once the map shows the property location, click on the parcel
4. A small window with property information will show up in the upper-left corner of the map. If the property is in the unincorporated Santa Clara County, the zoning section will show as Unincorporated Zoning Map.

 

In accordance with the requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), the County of Santa Clara will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in the County’s programs, services, and activities. The County of Santa Clara will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities or with limited English proficiency have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities.