OAKLAND — A pair of landlords forced to pay more than $6,500 to move back into their house have lost their courtroom battle against the city, leaving Oakland’s relocation payment ordinance intact.
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, which challenged Oakland’s right to demand landlords pay their tenants thousands of dollars in relocation assistance in order to conduct owner move-in evictions. The ruling upholds the ordinance that tenant rights advocates have heralded as key to protecting displaced renters and preventing them from becoming homeless, but which landlords say puts an unfair burden on homeowners.