Updated 11/5/25

Below is a breakdown of the property owner application process to the Lease to Locals Program in Mill Valley. Please read these instructions closely. It is important you take each of these steps to qualify for the incentive program.

Mill Valley Lease to Locals Program Details

1. Review the property owner requirements to participate in the Lease to Locals Program:
   1. The property must be located within the city limits of Mill Valley. 
   2. Full time tenants cannot have occupied the property for greater than 12 months. If tenants have occupied the property for less than 12 months they must not currently be on a Long-Term Lease.
   3. The Housing Unit must have obtained a business license from the city of Mill Valley.
2. Review the chart below explaining the incentives that property owners are eligible for based on rental arrangement and number of qualified tenants. Note, incentives are a one time deal and do not roll over year over year. One incentive will be paid for each qualified tenant, with a maximum of two (2) incentive payments per Housing Unit. Property Owners are eligible to participate with up to two (2) properties they own:                                                                  
3. Qualified household and tenant criteria is as follows:
   1. None of the members of a Qualified Household may be of blood relation to the Property Owner.
   2. The average individual annual income of the tenant household must be at or below 120% of the area median income ($156,000)
      1. Adult tenants who are full-time students are not included when determining if 50% of the adults in the household are Qualified Tenants or when calculating average household income.
   3. A Qualified Tenant must be employed (or offered and accepted employment) at least 20 hours per week for an employer located in or serving clients within the 94941 zip code at the time of the Lease to Locals application.
      
      1. Note, children are counted cumulatively as one additional qualifying tenant.
   4. At least 50% of the adult members of the tenant household must be Qualified Tenants. 
4. Applications to the Lease to Locals program must be submitted within 60 days of the start of the lease.

Mill Valley Lease to Locals Incentive Processing Steps

1. List the property for rent and start screening tenants:
   1. If you would like to post a property to our Listings Page, ask your Placemate representative for access. Owners can message directly with renters looking for housing in our database. 
      1. Note, these renters have not pre-applied for the program. They will still need to be qualified based on the steps laid out in this intake packet.
      2. You are not required to post a property to our site; additional listing site suggestions are at the bottom of this page that you can use as part of your broader search for tenants.
   2. As you look for tenant groups, be sure to verify that the group you select qualifies for the Lease to Locals program (qualified household information listed above) prior to passing their information on to your Placemate contact.
      1. If you have any questions about your tenants’ eligibility or documents, let us know and we can help with verification.
2. Once you have identified a tenant group who you believe qualifies, email your Placemate representative the tenants’ contact information (name, email, phone), so we can send them a link to our online application to collect the required documents. Be sure to let your tenants know we’ll be reaching out.
   1. All adult tenants must provide a copy of their government-issued ID and proof of income. Most applicants will be asked to provide 2 paystubs; for a full list of acceptable documentation to qualify local tenants, review section 5 of the Program Guidelines (LINK NEEDED). 
3. Once Placemate has confirmed that the tenant group meets program qualifications, sign a lease with your selected tenants.
4. After we’ve qualified your tenants, Placemate will email you the property owner application, which is a two-step digital process:
   1. 1st, we’ll send you the Property Owner Lease Summary form, which gathers basic info about your property and lease, and requires that you upload a digital copy of your signed lease.
   2. 2nd, after we review these materials, we will send you the Property Owner Incentive Application – this includes:
      1. Property and lease detail attestation
      2. Preview of your expected incentive amount
      3. Check request form 
      4. W-9 
5. After we receive your completed documents, and verify the tenants have moved in, Placemate will submit your application to the city of Mill Vally. The first half of your incentive payment will be mailed directly from the jurisdiction within 30-60 days of submission.
6. At the midpoint of the lease Placemate will check in with both the tenants and owner to ensure that the lease is being upheld.
7. At the end of the lease, Placemate will check in with both the tenants and owner and submit a request for the second half of the incentive payment.
8. If at any point during the lease, your tenant group changes or the tenants move out, the property owner must contact Placemate to let them know.

Please note, as the Lease to Locals program is focused on housing creation, each qualified property may participate in the Lease to Locals program one time. There are no additional incentives after year one.

##

Lease Template

You can use any lease you wish so long as your terms meet the program requirements. Placemate can not legally prepare your lease for you. 

Zillow provides free robust lease agreements that you might consider using – you can find them at this link. Please note, you and your tenants will have to create a profile on Zillow to use one of their lease templates.

Sites to List Your Property On: 

The following are websites used by local workforce members looking for housing. These would be great places to list your property, and it should be remembered that these are suggestions and you may list your property wherever and however you wish. Each of these options require that you monitor their various communication channels.

Zillow 

The housing site with the largest reach. A possibility of numerous non-responsive tenant applicants.

Facebook Marketplace 

You must have a Facebook account to post here. Make a post and include your property details. Check and respond to comments and direct messages to ensure you see inquiries come in. 

If you still need to secure tenants, here is some language you can put in your property listing to let prospective renters know you are participating in the Lease to Locals Program. Note, property owners must comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Listing Language

If you still need to secure tenants, here is some language you can put in your property listing to let prospective renters know you are participating in the Lease to Locals Program. Note, property owners must comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

The owner of this property is participating in the Mill Valley Lease to Locals Program aimed at unlocking existing homes for local employees and residents. To be considered for this property, at least 50% of the adult tenants in your group must meet the following criteria:

1. Employed (or offered and accepted employment) of at least 20 hours per week for an employer located in or serving clients within the 94941 zip code at the time of the Lease to Locals application.

Additionally, none of the members of the tenant household may be of blood relation to the property owner and the average individual annual income of the tenant household must be at or below 120% of the area median income ($156,000)