// maintenance · Berkeley

Maintenance and Repairs in Berkeley

1.0% Annual General Adjustment for 2026, effective Jan 1, 2026 (65% of CPI, 5% ceiling under Measure BB). A 24-hour line, licensed vendors, your approval threshold, and the vendor's invoice with nothing added.

1.0%Annual General Adjustment, 2026
$397Registration fee per fully covered unit, due Jul 2
$2,597Median rent, Oct 2026

How this works in Berkeley

Repairs are where owner money leaks and tenant goodwill is won or lost. We run a 24-hour maintenance line, send licensed and insured vendors, and bill you exactly what the vendor billed us. You set a dollar threshold in the management agreement; below it we fix the problem, above it we call you with a quote. Habitability issues, no heat, no hot water, water coming in, go first, because in the East Bay a habitability complaint is also an eviction defense and in Oakland grounds for a tenant petition to the Rent Adjustment Program.

Cap
1.0% Annual General Adjustment for 2026, effective Jan 1, 2026 (65% of CPI, 5% ceiling under Measure BB). Fully covered: most multifamily built before 1980 and single-family homes with tenancies that began before 1996. Partially covered (good cause and registration, no ceiling): post-1996 single-family and condo tenancies and newer construction.
Just cause
From day one of tenancy. Nonpayment eviction only when the debt is at least one month of fair market rent; lease-breach evictions need substantial, actual damage; every eviction notice is filed with the Rent Board within 3 business days.
Fees and filings
Registration FY 2026-27: $397 per fully covered unit, $244 per partially covered, due Jul 2, 2026, 100% penalty if late, nothing passable to the tenant. Business license $10.81 per $1,000 gross receipts under 5 units, $28.80 for 5 or more. Rental Housing Safety Program $60 per unit per year.

What is included

The full picture for owners is on the Berkeley page; the service on its own is described under maintenance.

// questions

Maintenance in Berkeley: questions owners ask

How much can I raise rent in Berkeley this year?

1.0% on fully covered units, effective Jan 1, 2026. Partially covered units (post-1996 single-family and condo tenancies, newer construction) have no Berkeley ceiling; the state 8.8% cap applies unless the unit qualifies for the AB 1482 single-family exemption with the lease notice.

Do I have to register my single-family rental?

Yes. A house whose tenancy began before 1996 is fully covered and pays $397; a later tenancy is partially covered and pays $244. Both are due Jul 2, 2026, with a 100% late penalty, and both carry good cause from day one.

Can I use my own handyman or plumber?

Yes, if they are licensed where the law requires it and carry insurance. We will add them to the vendor list for your property and dispatch to them first. If they do not respond within the window a repair needs, we send our vendor and tell you.

How fast do you respond to an emergency?

The line is answered around the clock. Loss of heat, hot water or water service, an active leak, a lockout, a sewer backup and a safety hazard are dispatched the same day, usually within hours. We tell you by text or email as soon as a vendor is assigned.

Who pays for a repair the tenant caused?

The tenant, where the lease and the facts support it. We document the cause with photos and the vendor's report, bill the tenant, and if it is unpaid at move-out it comes from the deposit with an itemized statement. Ordinary wear is the owner's cost under California law and we will tell you when something is wear rather than damage.

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What your place should rent for, what the city will let you charge next year, and what we would do first. Written, within one business day.

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Also in Berkeley

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Next door to Berkeley, different rules

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