Oral Arguments in Measure H Rent Control Appeal Set for Early September

Oral arguments are set for early September in the California Apartment Association’s appeal over Measure H, a rent control law approved by Pasadena voters in November 2022.

Measure H passed with 52.8 percent of the vote. The measure caps annual rent increases at 75 percent of the local Consumer Price Index, established “just cause” eviction protections and created an independent rental housing board to oversee enforcement.

The initiative also included a rent rollback provision. Under the provision, rents for most covered units were rolled back to the amounts tenants paid on May 17, 2021, or the first date of tenancy if later.

Supporters say this rollback provided immediate relief to residents who had seen steep increases during the pandemic, while opponents argue it unfairly reduces income for landlords and disrupts long-term lease agreements.

The association first challenged Measure H shortly after the election, arguing it represents a fundamental revision to the City Charter by creating a rent board with powers that override Pasadena’s council-manager system.

In March 2023, a Superior Court judge rejected those claims, ruling the measure did not fundamentally alter city government.

In its appeal, the association has renewed its arguments that the board’s composition — with seven of 11 seats reserved for tenants and none for landlords — is unconstitutionally biased. It also challenges Measure H’s relocation payment requirements, which it says conflict with state law for certain units.

After losing the first round, the association pledged to keep fighting, saying it would closely monitor developments and pursue every legal avenue.

The law arrived amid high housing costs in Pasadena, where average apartment rents are now around $3,200 per month, well above the national average and among the highest in the region.

Supporters of Measure H say the measure is essential to keeping housing affordable in Pasadena, where rent increases have outpaced wages for years.

“Pasadena voters have spoken,” the Yes On H campaign’s Twitter account posted after the election victory. “The rent is too high, evictions too often unjustified. We have stood together and made our voices heard.”