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Verify property qualifies
Eligible properties must be located in Mill Valley city limits and cannot have been rented for more than 12 months or have existing full time tenants on a 12 month lease.
The City of Mill Valley has partnered with Placemate to launch the Lease to Locals Pilot Program, an innovative initiative aimed at addressing the lack of housing options for the local workforce. The Program is a six-month pilot that offers one-time cash incentives to homeowners who convert their housing units into long-term rentals for tenants who make up to 120% of the area median income and who work for an employer that serves or is based within the 94941 zip code.
Full program guidelines can be found here.
Eligible properties must be located in Mill Valley city limits and cannot have been rented for more than 12 months or have existing full time tenants on a 12 month lease.
A Qualified Tenant is defined as an individual who works at least 20 hours per week for an employer located or serving clients within the 94941 zip code. Children are counted cumulatively as 1 additional qualifying tenant.
A Qualified Household is made of up 50% Qualified Tenants, has an average adult income at or below 120% of the area median income ($156,000), and no tenants of blood relation to the owner.
Property Owners must sign a long-term (12 month) lease with a Qualified Household. The Lease is subject to a rent cap (see chart below) based on the type of rental.
Placemate will provide Qualified Property Owners an online application which needs to be completed before the incentive can be disbursed. The funds will be paid in two equal installments — one at the beginning of the lease, and one at the end of the lease.
The Qualified Property Owner and Qualified Tenant(s) must comply with midway and final lease checks to ensure they are in compliance. If they are found to be out of compliance, Qualified Property Owners may be disqualified from receiving additional incentive payments.
Incentives are based on the type of rental and the number of Qualified Tenant(s) in a Qualified Household; Children in a Qualified Household are counted cumulatively as 1 additional Qualified Tenant. Property Owners are eligible for a maximum of 2 incentives across all properties that they own.
| Rental Type | 1 Qualified Tenant | 2 Qualified Tenants |
|---|---|---|
|
Room in a Shared Home |
$3,500 |
$7,000 |
|
Full Private Home |
$7,000 |
$14,000 |
| Rental Type | Room in a Shared Home | Full Private Home |
|---|---|---|
|
Maximum Rental Rate |
$1,500/month |
$4,500/month |
The Mill Valley Lease to Locals Program is a workforce rental conversion program that offers a one-time cash incentive to Property Owners who begin long-term renting their homes to qualified households. The goal of the program is to increase the supply of year-round housing available for employees working in the 94941 zip code.
Eligible properties must meet the following requirements:
Qualified Property Owner: The applicant must be the owner of the property or be able to represent the owner or ownership group legally.
Signed Lease Agreement and Complete Application Packet: The Qualified Property Owner must complete an application provided by Placemate and sign a Long-Term Lease (12 month+) with a Qualified Household. The complete application packet must be submitted within 60 days of the start of the lease.
Lease Compliance Checks: The Qualified Property Owner and Qualified Tenant Group must comply with the lease agreement for the full length of the lease and will be checked for compliance by Placemate at six (6) months into the lease and at the completion of the lease. Failure to comply with the lease requirements at any time shall disqualify the Qualified Property Owner for incentive payments.
Qualified Household: An individual renter or group of individual renters living together in one home as their primary residence, where at least half of the adults are Qualified Tenants and no adults are of blood relation to the Property Owner. Qualified Households must meet one of the following income qualifications:
Qualified Tenant: An adult who works at least 20 hours a week serving clients based within, or for an employer located within, the geographic boundaries of the 94941 zip code. Children are counted cumulatively as one additional Qualified Tenant.
First create a renter profile with Placemate. Then you can message property owners through the listing platform to inquire about units you are interested in. Additionally, Once we have your information on file we will email you prospective properties that fit your criteria.
The City of Mill Valley will issue incentives in two parts: the first half once the tenant group and property owner have been qualified for the program, provided all necessary application documents, the lease term has begun, and tenants have taken residency; the second half will be issued upon completion of the lease term pending a completed lease-end check-in with the Qualified Tenants and Property Owner verifying that lease and Program terms have been upheld.
If multiple rooms in a home are rented on separate leases, all rooms must be included on a single application and all move-in dates must be within thirty (30) days of each other.