Landlords Say Rental Board Dragged Its Feet on Publishing Key Document

Some local tenants will soon get forms in the mail indicating that their rent will be increased by 3%.

The City’s Rental Board approved the increase on Aug. 15.

However, according to several landlords, the City waited until the last minute to publish the form, which means some tenants may not receive the form in the mail before the 30-day deadline.

According to Pasadena Housing Providers, the landlords must provide 60 days’ notice to tenants on Section 8, and 30 days’ notice to regular tenants to increase rent by Oct. 1.

Pasadena Housing Providers (PHP) is an advocacy group for local landlords.

“The Board has had this information since April 10. It is a disservice to both landlords and tenants to wait until Aug. 15 to vote on the rent increase and Aug. 26 to publish the required form, which is the last possible moment,” said Simon Gibbons, local landlord and Pasadena resident. “It’s an alarming lack of planning and suggests a lack of professionalism on the Board and the Rent Stabilization Department. I look forward to the newly appointed director Helen Morales making some major improvements.”

But Aug. 26 is not the deadline.

According to the City Charter, the form must be published by Sept. 1.

The Rent Board published the form at 7:50 a.m. on Monday.

Ryan Bell, chair of the Rental Housing Board, told Pasadena Now on Monday there was no chicanery involved.

“We complied with the City Charter,” said Board Chair Ryan Bell.

“Pursuant to Charter Amendment XVIII Section 808. Rent Increase pursuant to Annual General Adjustment. (a) Annual General Adjustment. No later than September 1 each year, the Rental Board shall announce the amount of the Annual General Adjustment, which shall be effective as of October 1, of that year.”

Members of the group attended the Aug. 15 meeting of the Pasadena Rental Housing Board to ensure that housing providers’ voices were heard on the matter.

The Board approved the increase at the meeting.

“The Rent Stabilization Department seeks to work collaboratively with all constituents, both tenants and housing providers,” said Director Helen Morales. “In addition, we would like to further inform housing providers that the Rent Stabilization Department is scheduled to mail the Annual Registration Notices to all rental residential housing providers on Sept. 23, 2024. The deadline for housing providers to register their units with the Pasadena Rental Registry is Dec. 22, 2024. More information will be provided through the Rent Stabilization Department’s Rental Registry campaign.”

In order to raise the rent under Measure H, housing providers are required to send a specific form since the rental increase requires a change to the lease.

In 2022, Pasadena voters approved Measure H, the rent control ballot initiative, which restricts the amounts landlords can increase rent, rolls back rent, and provides eviction protections.

By Sept. 1, the Board must publish the AGA, the maximum amount the rent can be legally increased starting Oct. 1 of the same year, according to the City Charter.

The PHP called the wait an “unnecessary delay” since the information has been available since local inflation rates and the required data have been available since April 10.

“We found that neither the Chairman [Ryan] Bell of the Board, nor Director [Helen] Morales of the Rent Stabilization Department, were aware of their own Measure’s rules that require housing providers to send a specific form in addition to your usual form to change lease terms,” the group said.