To receive Multifamily Energy Savings incentives for common-area upgrades, you might need to sign either a Tenant Protection Agreement or a Rent Affordability Agreement. The program is meant to serve residents who benefit from low-income affordable housing. These agreements ensure that despite property upgrades, housing will remain affordable for tenants.

While a signed agreement isn’t required at the time of enrollment, if an agreement is applicable to your project, you must sign it before the program team can issue your Project Approval Letter. Proactively signing an agreement streamlines the Multifamily Energy Savings incentive payment process. If there’s a chance your property will pursue any common-area upgrades, signing the agreement before submitting your enrollment application prevents delays later in the process.

Tenant Protection Agreement and Rent Affordability Agreement FAQs

To receive Multifamily Energy Savings incentives for common-area upgrades, you might need to sign either a Tenant Protection Agreement or a Rent Affordability Agreement. The program is meant to serve residents who benefit from low-income affordable housing. These agreements ensure that despite property upgrades, housing will remain affordable for tenants.

While a signed agreement isn’t required at the time of enrollment, if an agreement is applicable to your project, you must sign it before the program team can issue your Project Approval Letter. Proactively signing an agreement streamlines the Multifamily Energy Savings incentive payment process. If there’s a chance your property will pursue any common-area upgrades, signing the agreement before submitting your enrollment application prevents delays later in the process.

Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), or Southern California Gas (SoCal Gas) service territories. 

Multifamily Energy Savings requires property owners to sign one of these agreements in certain situations to participate in the program at a property level. At properties in which at least 50% of residential units are at or below the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) income limits, these agreements ensure residents benefit from program offerings without significant rent increases. 

No. These agreements only apply to specific types of properties (see question 4) that want to receive incentives for common-area upgrades.

Properties must sign either a Tenant Protection Agreement or Rent Affordability Agreement to receive incentives for common-area upgrades if they are non-deed restricted or are deed-restricted properties with less than 10 years of affordability protection remaining. The agreement type depends on the property location:

  • The Tenant Protection Agreement applies to properties in PG&E service territory.
  • The Rent Affordability Agreement applies to properties in SoCalGas, SCE, or SDG&E service territory.
  • Properties with service from PG&E as well as SoCalGas, SCE, or SDG&E must sign both agreements.

Yes. Properties that would be required to sign an agreement to qualify for common-area upgrade incentives but those who choose not to can still qualify to receive no-cost in-unit upgrades that will benefit income-qualified residents. Deed-restricted properties with 10 or more years of affordability protection remaining are not required to sign an agreement.

Learn more about property and project eligibility requirements and reach out to the Multifamily Energy Savings team when you’re ready to start your application.