Rental Board to Consider School-Year Eviction Protections for Families

The Pasadena Rental Housing Board is set to vote Thursday on new regulations that would protect families with school-aged children from being evicted during the school year, potentially creating a significant safeguard for vulnerable tenants. 

The proposed amendments to the city’s Just Cause for Eviction regulations would establish a complete affirmative defense against no-fault evictions for households where a school-aged child resides if the termination notice falls during the academic year. The protections would apply to tenants who have lived in their units for at least 12 months. 

Research cited in the staff report indicates that eviction is particularly traumatizing to children and affects their development and physical well-being for years, possibly for a lifetime. Children represent four in ten people threatened with eviction yearly, with children under age 5 being the largest group facing eviction. Studies show that children who change schools during the academic year are four times more likely to be chronically absent and therefore more likely to repeat grades or drop out.

The proposal offers three options for defining the ‘school year,’ from which the Board may choose one: using the academic calendar of the student’s specific school… or using the Pasadena Unified School District calendar for all schools including home instruction… or defining it as ‘the second week of August through the first week of June.

Importantly, the protections would include exceptions for government orders to vacate due to health and safety concerns, or when a landlord needs to regain possession for a health-related emergency. 

The proposal follows similar protections adopted in Santa Monica, San Francisco, and Concord. The Board began developing these regulations in July 2024 and reviewed initial drafts in May 2025. 

The Board will also consider establishing valuation guidelines for rent reductions when landlords fail to maintain habitable premises or decrease housing services. The staff report presents examples from Los Angeles and Santa Monica, where specific monetary values are assigned to issues like broken air conditioning ($60-120/month) or inoperable laundry facilities ($36-60/month in LA, $36-228/month in Santa Monica). 

The meeting will take place Thursday, June 5 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber at Pasadena City Hall (100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S249). 

The public may attend in person or participate virtually via Zoom using the link provided in the agenda 

(https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89816590299 or by phone at 1-669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 898 165 902 99).