{"id":464517,"date":"2026-09-15T14:08:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T14:08:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/464517\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T14:08:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T14:08:19","slug":"a-developers-housing-empire-is-expanding-rapidly-tenants-say-theyre-paying-the-price","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/464517\/","title":{"rendered":"A developer\u2019s housing empire is expanding rapidly. Tenants say they\u2019re paying the price"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Published Sep. 15, 2026at6:00am<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">From the rooftop of one of ArtHaus Partners\u2019 newest apartment buildings, at 820 W. MacArthur St., the skylines of Oakland and San Francisco can be seen in one panoramic view \u2014 a perfect vantage point for CEO Riaz Taplin to observe his growing empire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cI\u2019ve built more workforce housing than anyone in the history of the Bay Area,\u201d Taplin said while giving The Standard a tour of the building in mid-August.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Taplin\u2019s claim is hard to verify, given the fluidity of the term \u201cworkforce housing,\u201d which encompasses studios, student beds, and multi-room apartments meant for people who earn between 60% and 120% of the area\u2019s median income. But his company, formerly Riaz Capital, has certainly built a lot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">By its own count, ArtHaus holds around $1 billion in real estate assets across 4,000 units in development or under management, spanning roughly 60 buildings. The majority of its portfolio is in Oakland, but in the past four years, it has expanded to developments in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Sacramento, while construction is underway in Santa Cruz and San Diego.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">The Taplin family has been involved in real estate since 1977, when Riaz\u2019s father, Russ, began condo conversions in San Francisco. Riaz, who has a degree in economic history from the London School of Economics, founded Riaz Capital in 2010 and began steering it toward workforce housing in 2012. He aimed to combat what he called \u201ca profound affordable housing crisis\u201d in California using a mix of private and institutional capital to secure investment for the company\u2019s projects while taking advantage of Opportunity Zones and other federal and state tax incentives.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"block \" width=\"3000\" height=\"2001\" alt=\"\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789481290_57_-S3840x2561-FPNG.png\"\/>ArtHaus has benefited from California\u2019s Density Bonus Law, which helped the developer add 23 buildings and more than 1,900 units, including at this site in Oakland\u2019s Jack London Square.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">But this expansion has not always been smooth, and, according to some residents, has left significant collateral damage. Since 2023, around 70 tenants living in ArtHaus buildings have filed complaints or lawsuits against the landlord through Oakland\u2019s Code Enforcement Services, the Oakland Tenants Union, and Alameda County Court. The Standard spoke with nine tenants across six ArtHaus-owned buildings about their complaints, which range from black mold and cockroach infestations to safety concerns and unexplained charges.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">These issues have been compounded by ArtHaus\u2019 introduction in November of an AI chatbot called Sophie, meant \u201cto improve our customer service and response times for our residents,\u201d according to a spokesperson. Tenants said management encouraged the use of the chatbot for submitting maintenance requests and communicating with property managers. However, residents said they would often go weeks or months without receiving a response to complaints. (A spokesperson said there are other ways to reach management besides the chatbot.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Scarlet Corona, 32, a tenant in an ArtHaus property called Diamond Haus, in the Highland Park area of East Oakland, has been living with cockroaches since the day she moved in a year and a half ago. She said she\u2019s had it with her landlord. \u201cThey\u2019re horrible, neglectful. I\u2018m so fucking tired of their bullshit,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Documents seen by The Standard show long lapses in communication between Corona and ArtHaus as she waited for a resolution to the infestation. The documents also show attempts by ArtHaus to treat Corona\u2019s apartment; the landlord reported that the cockroaches came from a neighbor\u2019s apartment, to which property managers were unable to gain entry. (\u201cThat resident has since vacated, and the building is now under active building-wide treatment with a vendor,\u201d a spokesperson told The Standard.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Corona shared images of cockroaches and gnats in the laundry room and kitchen, claiming that at least five apartments in the building had been affected. A spokesperson denied these claims: \u201cThis has never been a significant issue at this building, and we are proud of the quality of this building and the small businesses that make up its community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"block \" width=\"1139\" height=\"2023\" alt=\"A bald man wearing a gray suit, a blue and white striped shirt, and an orange patterned tie stands indoors at an event.\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/-S3840x6820-FPNG.png\"\/>\u201cI\u2019ve built more workforce housing than anyone in the history of the Bay Area,\u201d said Arthaus CEO Riaz Taplin. | Source: Courtesy<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u00a0Regardless, Corona said, she is looking for \u201csomewhere else to live, but every other affordable property available is owned by them. Why would I move to another ArtHaus?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Her days and nights seem to be dominated by the landlord, which also owns the building near Fruitvale, ArtHaus Works, where she works at a nonprofit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cIt\u2019s spooky,\u201d Corona said. \u201cThey have cockroaches there too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-center\">***<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">During the W. MacArthur building tour, Taplin explained how obsessed he\u2019d become with the color and scent of each room. \u201cI love the smell!\u201d he exclaimed while taking pictures on his phone of defects he found in the apartments, including scratches on a wall and a light fixture hanging out of its brackets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Taplin claims to have \u201cchosen every color and planted every tree.\u201d This attention to detail stems from his early real estate career, focused on \u201cdesign-forward\u201d projects in wealthy Bay Area locales. The CEO had a hand in all of the buildings\u2019 decor alongside a decorator, according to Seth Lang, ArtHaus\u2019 senior VP of development. But in 2016, Taplin decided he \u201cdidn\u2019t want to be doing homes for rich people\u201d anymore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cI wanted to be something more aspirational,\u201d he said. \u201cI tried to find scalable ways to increase single-person housing. We can\u2019t solve all the problems all of the time; let\u2019s try our best to solve problems for single people in urban environments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">ArtHaus is trying to \u201cfill a hole in the market,\u201d Taplin said. For his company, that means 340- to 395-square-foot units that fetch around $1,500 a month, plus utilities, communal areas with elegant furnishings, and \u201ccoliving\u201d lifestyle perks like gyms, rooftop fire pits, barbecue areas, business centers, and theater rooms. The W. MacArthur building is restricted to tenants who earn up to 80% of the average median income in Oakland: about $95,000 a year.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"block \" width=\"2000\" height=\"3000\" alt=\"A person wearing a red t-shirt, black shorts, sandals, and a backward green cap stands with hands in pockets on a concrete surface near plants and a gray building.\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/-S3840x5760-FPNG.png\"\/>Corona said she is looking for \u201csomewhere else to live, but every other affordable property available is owned by them. Why would I move to another ArtHaus?\u201d<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"block \" width=\"2001\" height=\"3000\" alt=\"A dirty corner behind a washing machine shows grime, a bent panel leaning against the wall, and a broken, stained floor with visible damage.\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/-S3840x5757-FPNG.png\"\/>A leaky washing machine and hole in the laundry room floor at Corona\u2019s apartment building.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"block \" width=\"2001\" height=\"3000\" alt=\"A closed window with white blinds is set in a gray wall, which has rust-colored vertical stains and a small vent near the ground.\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789481295_370_-S3840x5757-FPNG.png\"\/>Residue left by a former neighbor at Corona apartment in East Oakland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Taplin says California\u2019s housing industry is \u201cbroken,\u201d and he is always searching for \u201cnew ways to create more affordable housing.\u201d In Oakland, that hole in the market needs urgent attention. Between 2015 and 2023, the city\u2019s Regional Housing Needs Allocation planned for 6,949 affordable housing units, but only a third of that total (2,476 units) were delivered, with the biggest deficit in the \u201cmoderate\u201d income category.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Taplin placed blame for that on the city\u2019s approach to public safety and accused it of letting crime, vandalism, and illegal trash dumping run riot during and after the pandemic years. \u201cBusinesses fled, residents fled,\u201d he said. \u201cThey tainted the water for more institutional capital returning to Oakland.\u201d Taplin claims he has been shot at twice while in his office, which is in the same ArtHaus Works building where his tenant Corona works. \u201cI\u2019m still waiting for the cops to call back,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">However, ArtHaus\u2019 tenants have had their own safety concerns, and for that, they blame not just the city but the landlord.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-center\">***<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Driving southwest on the I-980 in Oakland, a quick glance to the right offers a sight of ArtHaus Jack London, one of the developer\u2019s newest buildings, by the docks in Jack London Square. Adorned with murals by Oakland artist <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fernandamartinezart.com\/murals-1\/233broadway\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Fernanda Martinez (opens in new tab)<\/a>, the building resembles many other Arthaus properties popping up across the East Bay \u2014 beacons for a brand seeking to attract young, cash-strapped workers as tenants.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">One of those tenants, Essence Smith, 33, lived in ArtHaus\u2019 Jack London building for four years before leaving in August over mounting security concerns. Packages were being stolen from the mailroom \u201cwithin 30 minutes of delivery,\u201d Smith claimed, but when these incidents were reported through the AI chatbot, the landlord ignored them, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cI had a credit card delivered to the building, which I never received. Then I started to see phantom charges on my account,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI only found out that it might have been stolen because I saw a Google review for the building that said someone had broken into the mailroom. They [management] never told us anything about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">ArtHaus denies this, saying it \u201csent numerous communications about package theft, as well as reminding residents not to allow unauthorized individuals to follow them into the building.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Smith\u2019s bike was stolen in May from a locked shed inside the building. Someone had gotten past two doors that required key passes and accessed the shed, she claimed. Where her bike used to be was a mattress, indicating that someone had been sleeping in the shed. Smith submitted a report to a property manager, who responded that he would \u201crequest the video footage and investigate the matter thoroughly.\u201d She claimed she never heard back from the manager.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"block \" width=\"3000\" height=\"2000\" alt=\"\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789481295_244_-S3840x2560-FPNG.png\"\/>Adorned with murals by Oakland artist Fernanda Martinez, Arthaus Jack London resembles many other of the developer\u2019s properties popping up across the East Bay. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cJack London has experienced an uptick in crime and break-ins, including cars and buildings, over the last few years,\u201d an ArtHaus spokesman said. \u201cOur property has not been exempt from that. We have communicated these concerns and issues to the city and law enforcement, have replaced doors and locks, and taken other security measures.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">According to a complaint filed with Code Enforcement Services, a tenant at an ArtHaus building on Newton Avenue reported in July that \u201cvisible drug dealing and suspected prostitution\u201d was taking place outside the building. In January, according to another complaint, a tenant from an ArtHaus building on Magnolia Street said they were being threatened by someone inside the building and \u201ccannot reach a live human to move units and I don\u2019t feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">These issues were exacerbated by the introduction of the Sophie chatbot, which ArtHaus encouraged tenants to use for submitting complaints and inquiries, including repair requests, rent or charge disputes, and anything else for which they may need assistance. Every tenant The Standard spoke with mentioned frustration with the landlord\u2019s insistence that they use the chatbot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Smith said she had lived in the building for two years before it was taken over by ArtHaus in 2024 and when the management decided to introduce Sophie, \u201cthings got weird.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cShe\u2019s not the smartest AI,\u201d said Smith. \u201cIt\u2019s sort of like talking to an AI chatbot behind a paywall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">On a call with Sophie, a tenant is forced through a set list of options, which often end in a suggestion to email management and little recourse if there is an emergency, according to several tenants who spoke with The Standard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cYou could email them that the building is on fire and they wouldn\u2019t do anything,\u201d Smith added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">In response to the tenants\u2019 safety concerns, a spokesperson said that residents can also call a phone number listed on Arhaus\u2019 website and that if Sophie \u201cdoes not ultimately meet our residents\u2019 or our expectations, we will make a change.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Taplin acknowledged that it may have been a \u201cstrategic mistake to introduce AI,\u201d and is considering whether to \u201cget rid of it completely.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-center\">***<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">As rain lashed Calem Golub\u2019s bedroom window in April, he sat on his bed and watched water drip through cracks in the wall. He said he\u2019d been \u201cspam-calling\u201d his landlord, ArtHaus, and filing reports to its Sophie chatbot that had been ignored for more than a month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Golub, 25, was one of around 265 tenants across nine buildings in the East Bay who had been living under the troubled corporate landlord Mosser Capital until ArtHaus acquired his apartment block at 350 Newton Ave. in December 2025. The relationship with his new landlord had not begun well. When ArtHaus sent someone out to inspect the water damage in Golub\u2019s home in mid-April, the worker taped a plastic sheet around his leaky window and left.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Now, following \u201cfour months of hell,\u201d Golub said, his home has become \u201cuninhabitable.\u201d He said black mold and water intruded on the two-bedroom, despite the property managers receiving a code enforcement violation warning in March that reported \u201cevidence of water intrusion\u201d and a \u201cdeteriorated wall in need of repair.\u201d An independent mold inspection company recorded a level of 92% humidity in Golub\u2019s apartment in April \u2014 the Environmental Protection Agency recommends a humidity level of 30%-50% inside a home \u2014 while the mold inspector reported having \u201chad a hard time breathing\u201d during the visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">The apartment has since been gutted by ArtHaus and the drywall replaced, but the rotting timber frames remain, according to Golub, who returned to the apartment the day before the drywall was erected and took videos of the frames still in place. \u201cThere\u2019s no way they could have replaced them in a day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"h-full w-full object-cover\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.7777777777777777\" width=\"1000\" height=\"562.5\" alt=\"\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/-C100.00%x100.00%,0.00%,0.00%-S3840x2160-FPNG.png\"\/>Arthaus Terraces at 1330 Bush Street in Lower Nob Hill is the developer\u2019s first Arthaus-branded building in San Francisco. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Golub\u2019s apartment building, plus eight other \u201cdistressed\u201d properties, were purchased by ArtHause from Mosser last year \u2014 a transaction the San Francisco Business Times called the Bay Area\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/sanfrancisco\/news\/2026\/03\/20\/real-estate-deals-housing-arthaus.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">housing deal of the year. (opens in new tab)<\/a>\u201d The deal was for $30 million, \u201ca major discount that clocked in at around $105,000 per unit, less than a third of the $315,000 per unit its former owners paid for it in 2020,\u201d the Business Times reported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cIt was one of the most challenging acquisitions,\u201d Taplin told The Standard. Mosser, one of the Bay Area\u2019s most active residential landlords, entered a financial tailspin after the pandemic as falling occupancy, declining rents, and rising interest and repair costs affected its debt management, according to reports.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">But Arthaus\u2019 success has not lessened the distress felt by former Mosser tenants. Fearing that the walls in his apartment could collapse, Golub has been sleeping in the room above the bike mechanic shop where he works in Richmond. He went on rent strike for the time he has been away from the apartment, leading ArtHaus to demand $7,000 in rent and issue Golub an eviction notice.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">According to ArtHaus, \u201cThe resident was provided a rent credit for the duration they were unable to live in the unit. If a notice to pay rent was sent during this time period, that was an error.\u201d Of the eviction notice, the spokesperson said it was \u201cthe formal and industry standard notice to provide to a tenant when they are late on rent. That does not mean we are pursuing an eviction,\u201d calling that \u201ca last resort after significant efforts to work with a resident have been made and aren\u2019t successful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Golub, who has lived in the apartment for 18 years, said it\u2019s \u201cnearly driven me crazy having to say goodbye to that place. It\u2019s unexplainable to have your childhood home ripped from you by a nepo baby billionaire slumlord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Taplin, whose personal wealth is unlikely to be in the billions, has long been faced with competing narratives about his company in the East Bay. Within the Bay Area real estate industry, Taplin is a lauded figure with a host of awards to his name. He sits on the board for several nonprofit housing organizations, and independent trade coverage has generally framed him favorably.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">But another narrative promulgated by tenants rights activists has rendered him, ArtHaus, and its predecessor Riaz Capital as a mass tenant evictor. Housing organizers tied the Taplin family to at least 555 evictions across the Bay Area between 2010 and 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">A spokesperson disputed the accuracy and source of that figure, saying that \u201ctallies like these \u2026 will often count any step in the legal process that was ever initiated, including routine notices that were cured or resolved and never resulted in anyone leaving their home.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cThe figure does not represent households that were actually evicted, and treating it as though it does is simply wrong,\u201d the spokesperson continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Asked via email for its own accounting of the number of completed evictions, the spokesperson wrote, \u201cWe don\u2019t have an exact number on this. \u2026 An educated guess is +\/-50.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Taplin said ArtHaus was not able to inspect any of the 265 units it acquired before closing the deal with Mosser, claiming it could not gain access to the buildings until it owned them. A Mosser spokesperson later clarified that ArtHaus \u201cdid get to do limited due diligence prior to close \u2026 and were allowed access to a sample size of approximately 10% of the units.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">The Oakland Tenants Union continues to field complaints about ArtHaus, according to housing counselor Noah Kirshbaum-Ray, who reported a sharp increase in complaints about ArtHaus after it purchased the Mosser buildings and introduced the chatbot.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Kirshbaum-Ray believes many issues at ArtHaus-operated buildings are going unreported because tenants do not know where to go. \u201cIf the same issues keep coming up, it\u2019s pretty likely that a large section of tenants there are experiencing them,\u201d he said. \u201cUnfortunately, most of the time tenants just accept that\u2019s how it is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cEvery single resident is important to us, and everything happening in every unit is incredibly important to us,\u201d Taplin said, while admitting that \u201cit takes months to go through 300 units.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-center\">***<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Six tenants who spoke to The Standard, echoing numerous small-claims complainants, reported that ArtHaus had issued unexplained charges on monthly invoices and refused to repay security deposits when tenants left a building. Five tenants provided evidence of charges with generic titles such as \u201cutility bill\u201d and no explanation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">As of June, an ArtHaus Magnolia tenant who did not wish to be named was in a lengthy battle with the landlord to remove $400 in charges for use of the building\u2019s Wi-Fi. The tenant claims he does not use the building\u2019s Wi-Fi, opting for another internet provider to ensure higher speeds. His attempts to have the charges removed through the chatbot have been ignored. (After The Standard inquired about the charges, the ArtHaus spokesperson said, \u201cWe believe the Wi-Fi charges were removed.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cThe saving grace is that I did not have autopay,\u201d said the resident. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine what it\u2019s like for people with autopay. [The charge] would have been invisible.\u201d The resident is unreserved in his contempt for ArtHaus: \u201cThey\u2019re a parasite. They are classic slumlords in a digital era.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Corona, from the Diamond Haus apartment, said she had \u201cunexplained solar panel charges\u201d added to her account and is contesting a $1,000 late fee charge for nonpayment of ArtHaus\u2019 \u201cdamage liability\u201d \u2014 the developer\u2019s version of renters insurance \u2014 which she declined to pay because she has her own insurance. She claims she told the AI chatbot about the mischarges weeks ago but never heard back.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">The ArtHaus spokesperson disputed the existence of a $1,000 late fee but said the charges to Corona\u2019s unit \u201chave been credited in full,\u201d including the damage waiver fee and the disputed solar charges. (Corona said the resolution came only after The Standard inquired about the errant charges.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Another tenant, Nicole Peterson, a 48-year-old substance-abuse counselor, is based in ArtHaus Mandela, one of the company\u2019s newest constructions in Oakland. She claimed she was slapped with an eviction notice and a $6,000 rental charge when ArtHaus changed property managers midway through her lease and changed her rent due date from the 10th of the month to the 1st without informing her. The eviction notice and charge came only six days after her rent nonpayment, she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cMy neighbor got an eviction notice too; she was crying,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what people are going through when they get these notices. Management sucks, it\u2019s horrible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Peterson, a tenant in the building for two and a half years, claims her air conditioning unit has not worked for more than a year and she has received mystery electricity back charges that haven\u2019t been explained. She, like many ArtHaus tenants, reported her issues to the chatbot but has had no response from management.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cI\u2019ve never talked to a human since I moved in here. The only time I met a person was when they were showing me the apartment. You can\u2019t argue with AI,\u201d said Peterson.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"block \" width=\"2000\" height=\"3000\" alt=\"A building entrance with stairs and railings leads to a window displaying a sign that reads \u201cRent from $1,500\/MO.\u201d\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789481298_44_-S3840x5760-FPNG.png\"\/>Arthaus specializes in building 340- to 395-square-foot units that fetch around $1,500 a month, like the ones currently leasing at Arthaus 820 in Oakland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">After The Standard inquired about Peterson\u2019s claims, an ArtHaus representative said, \u201cAll of [the resident\u2019s] concerns have been addressed and have been discussed with the management team.\u201d The rep also stated that the eviction notice to Peterson, like the one issued to Golub, was a formality and not an overt attempt to evict the tenant.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">Taplin and his business entities are facing four active lawsuits in Alameda County small claims court for alleged non-repayment of tenants\u2019 security deposits and erroneous utility charges, with another case recently dismissed. Two habitability lawsuits against the landlord in civil court have been settled in the last two years, with one paying out more than $10,000 to a tenant who complained of rodent and insect infestations at their apartment in East Oakland, as well as a broken elevator and stove.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cBoth matters involved disputed allegations and were resolved through negotiated settlements without an admission of liability,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">ArtHaus also faces a lawsuit over conditions at its East 18th Street property, where it joins Mosser as a codefendant. Disabled tenant D\u2019Andrea Gates-Riley alleges the building, which ArtHaus purchased from Mosser, had \u201cgarbage piled up in the hallways, leading to roaches and foul odors.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">The lobby was not secured, the complaint claimed, \u201cleading to outsiders entering the property without authorization and sleeping in common spaces.\u201d Gates-Riley\u2019s toilet was out of order, and the building\u2019s elevator suffered outages for more than a week, the lawsuit claimed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">A lawyer for the plaintiffs, Ethan Silverstein of the California Center for Movement Legal Services, declined to comment on ArtHaus specifically. \u201cSome landlords attempt to profit by making buildings unlivable in hopes of driving out the rent-controlled tenants,\u201d he said. \u201cThankfully, tenants have a lot of rights in these situations, especially in the Bay Area.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cThis was a property we recently purchased and may not have been aware of all residents\u2019 concerns,\u201d the ArtHaus rep stated. \u201cWe take all issues like the ones named here very seriously and are actively working on improvements to this property.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-center\">***<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">To build or acquire its projects, ArtHaus relies on a mixture of private funds and tax-exempt bond financing. Its acquisition of a 368-unit Sacramento complex was financed through a $100 million public bond issued by the city and county of Sacramento. Documents also show ArtHaus is set to receive a $750,000 project management fee as part of the bond for the Sacramento project.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">ArtHaus has also benefited from California\u2019s Density Bonus Law, which allows developers to increase the number of units in a building as long as they are earmarked for affordable housing. The law has helped the developer add 23 buildings and more than 1,900 units, according to its website, including the Jack London site, which increased from 105 to 130 units.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">But perhaps its greatest success lies in its deployment of Opportunity Zones, a federal incentive that allows investors to reduce capital gains taxes on investments made in \u201ceconomically distressed\u201d neighborhoods. ArtHaus has used this vehicle to raise $215 million across two Opportunity Zone funds, Taplin said in a 2021 investor webinar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">The company has built 15 properties using these funds, ArtHaus portfolio documents show. These include a 64-unit development at 1705 Mandela Parkway and an eight-unit project at 2618 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, both in Opportunity Zones, while the developer has begun construction projects in zones in Santa Cruz and San Diego.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"block \" width=\"3000\" height=\"2001\" alt=\"A modern four-story building named \u201cArt Haus\u201d features a teal mural on one corner, with cars parked along the street and traffic lights at the intersection.\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789481299_124_-S3840x2561-FPNG.png\"\/>Arthaus 820 in Oakland is restricted to tenants who earn up to 80% of the average median income: about $95,000 a year. <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">A document that appears to be a pitch deck for the company\u2019s latest proposed fund, accessed by The Standard through ArtHaus\u2019 website and subsequently taken down, shows it attempted to raise $100 million for building inside Opportunity Zones. The federal government requires that at least 90% of an Opportunity Zone fund\u2019s assets must remain inside a qualified property. However, the company\u2019s pitch deck indicates that as much as 44% of its prospective Opportunity Zone fund would be spent purchasing property with \u201copportunistic returns\u201d outside those zones.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">One of the projects outside of the Opportunity Zone featured in ArtHaus\u2019 pitch deck is in the planning stage: 2330 Prince St. in Berkeley. This townhouse development will replace a church and preschool with 23 homes that, according to the pitch deck, the landlord plans to sell for $41.31 million, or around $1.8 million per home, making $12.2 million in profit if successful. (A spokesperson said 2330 Prince St. \u201chas not been acquired yet and will not be acquired in an Opportunity Zone fund.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">When asked about the claims made in the pitch deck, Taplin said the document was not final and should not have been accessible on the website.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cWe haven\u2019t deployed or finalized said vehicle,\u201d Taplin said of the fund referenced in the deck. \u201cAll our Opportunity Zone funds have been deployed with the regulations and have been compliant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cI feel like I\u2019m being villanized,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">He pointed to projects like Rooted, a public-private partnership with the city of Oakland that helped house 64 teachers and educators in ArtHaus properties. The company also partnered with the International Rescue Committee to house refugees and provided free office space for an educational nonprofit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-block break-words article-body text-left\">\u201cI\u2019ve spent my lifetime trying to do something for the community, and did I do everything right? No,\u201d Taplin said. \u201cBut if there aren\u2019t people like me, what does it look like?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Published Sep. 15, 2026at6:00am From the rooftop of one of ArtHaus Partners\u2019 newest apartment buildings, at 820 W.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":464518,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[15682,1337,388,101,103,102,104,106,105],"class_list":["post-464517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-apartment-rentals","tag-housing-development","tag-real-estate","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=464517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/464517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/464518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=464517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=464517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=464517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}