"No matter how many times she scrubs and paints, the black mold on Zenaida Gomez’s apartment walls always comes back.
Equally as stubborn, however, is the Richmond tenant herself, who’s determined to make her two-bedroom apartment of 20 years safe for her and her children.
“I’m worried because I have my three youngest children,” Gomez said in Spanish. Her five children have grown up in the apartment. “They have allergies, and one of my sons suffers from asthma because of the damp walls.”
Previously, landlords were allowed to self-certify that their buildings were up-to-code. The onus had largely been on renters like Gomez to drive such improvements by filing complaints with the city. However, a new city ordinance, which takes effect Thursday, alleviates some of that burden by making city inspections routine every three years.
Richmond’s new rule, which garnered unanimous City Council support last month, is just the latest win for housing advocates in the city, which already boasts some of the strongest tenant protections in California, including rent control, eviction protections and an ordinance prohibiting tenant-harassment."