Mediator Services for Landlord-Tenant Disputes
Background
The past eighteen months have seen the end of the Los Angeles County COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium, an increase in renovation evictions, and a rise in complaints concerning housing affordability, rent increases, and uninhabitable housing conditions. Separately, effective April 1, 2024, Senate Bill 567 authorized city attorneys to enforce “just cause” eviction and rent cap tenant protection laws by seeking injunctive relief in court.
Most recently, the Burbank City Council increased relocation assistance for all no-fault just cause evictions and added anti-retaliation tenant protection provisions with a local enforcement mechanism which authorizes legal action and certain administrative remedies for violations.
Most recently, the Burbank City Council increased relocation assistance for all no-fault just cause evictions and added anti-retaliation tenant protection provisions with a local enforcement mechanism which authorizes legal action and certain administrative remedies for violations.
Working Towards a Solution – Establishing the Housing Enforcement Program
To carry out these new enforcement functions, and assist landlords and tenants, Burbank established the Housing Enforcement Program (“H.E. Program”). As part of the H.E. Program, City Council has also authorized funding to support grants to qualifying tenants for private legal representation as well as a City-sponsored half-day legal mediations.
Mediation for Landlord-Tenant Disputes
The City Attorney’s Office is establishing a panel of licensed California attorneys to provide half-day mediations, inclusive of review time, for landlord-tenant disputes to be compensated at $1,000 each. Staff will receive the dispute, investigate the matter, and refer to a rotating panel of qualified attorneys for half-day mediations aimed at resolving the dispute.
Resident tenants and landlords would be invited to participate in the service at no cost to them, on referral. Though mediation will be voluntary for both parties and decisions will be non-binding, the no-cost opportunity could be an effective method of dispute resolution where other methods may be more costly or do not exist. In disputes where there is no pending court matter, mediation could be a prerequisite to qualifying for a $5,000 legal services grant to enlist private counsel in future litigation.
Resident tenants and landlords would be invited to participate in the service at no cost to them, on referral. Though mediation will be voluntary for both parties and decisions will be non-binding, the no-cost opportunity could be an effective method of dispute resolution where other methods may be more costly or do not exist. In disputes where there is no pending court matter, mediation could be a prerequisite to qualifying for a $5,000 legal services grant to enlist private counsel in future litigation.
Interested in Becoming a Mediator?
Thank you for your interest in becoming a mediator for the City of Burbank. As of February 28, 2025, the City Attorney’s Office is no longer accepting applications for mediators. Applications submitted prior to this date are under review. Once all applications are reviewed, you will receive an email regarding the status of your submission.
Click this link to access Frequently Asked Questions.
