// tenant placement · Hayward

Tenant Placement and Leasing in Hayward

5% once per 12 months on covered units, flat and not CPI-indexed (ordinance since Jul 25, 2019). State 8.8% elsewhere. Priced to the market, screened to a written standard, leased with the notices your city requires.

5%Local cap, pre-1979 multifamily
$66Rent review fee per covered unit
$3,850Median house rent, Oct 2026

How this works in Hayward

A vacancy costs more than the leasing fee. At Oakland's average rent of $2,323, every empty week is about $540 gone. We price the unit against what is actually renting nearby, list it with professional-quality photos you supply or we arrange, show it on a schedule that fits working applicants, and screen every file against the same written standard. The lease we sign carries the AB 1482 notices or the local ordinance notices the unit needs, so the first day of the tenancy does not become a problem on the last day.

Cap
5% once per 12 months on covered units, flat and not CPI-indexed (ordinance since Jul 25, 2019). State 8.8% elsewhere. Properties of two or more units with a certificate of occupancy before Jul 1, 1979, about 9,500 units. Single-family homes, condos and owner-occupied properties with an ADU are exempt from the local cap but fall under the state 8.8% limit unless AB 1482 exempt.
Just cause
Nearly all units, including single-family homes and condos, with 15 permitted reasons. Anti-harassment and anti-retaliation rules apply to every unit.
Fees and filings
Rent review fee $66 per covered unit and $32 per other unit per year, half passable. Residential Rental Inspection Program $88 per property per year for 1 to 4 units, $22 per unit for 5 or more. Business license $3.75 per $1,000 of gross receipts, $60 minimum. No rent registry.

What is included

The full picture for owners is on the Hayward page; the service on its own is described under tenant placement.

// questions

Tenant Placement in Hayward: questions owners ask

How much can I raise rent in Hayward this year?

On a covered unit, two or more units built before Jul 1, 1979, the cap is 5% once in 12 months. Banked increases can take a single notice to 10% at most. On a single-family home or condo the state cap of 8.8% applies through Jul 31, 2027, unless the lease carries the AB 1482 exemption notice.

Does the cap apply to my single-family rental?

Hayward's 5% cap does not. Your house falls under the state 8.8% limit unless you own it as an individual and the lease carries the AB 1482 exemption notice. Hayward's just-cause rules and its anti-harassment rules do apply to your house.

How long does it take to lease a unit?

It depends on the price and the season. In Lafayette, one flat-fee competitor reports 14 to 21 days to lease. A unit priced to recent comps in Oakland or Berkeley, listed with good photos and shown promptly, is usually in the same range. A unit priced above the market can sit for months.

Can I choose which applicant gets the unit?

You set the standard with us before the listing goes live: minimum income multiple, credit floor, reference requirements. Once it is set, the first applicant who meets it gets the unit. Choosing between qualified applicants on anything else is where fair-housing claims come from, and we will not do it.

What security deposit can I collect?

California caps security deposits at one month's rent (AB 12), whether the unit is furnished or not. In Berkeley the deposit also earns interest that must be paid to the tenant by Dec 31 each year; the 2025 rate was 0.9%.

What is the leasing fee and when is it earned?

Typically half of one month's rent, charged once the tenant has signed and paid. It covers pricing, listing, showings, screening, the lease and the move-in report. Nothing is owed if we do not place a tenant.

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