Pasadena Rental Board to Weigh Rent Decrease Guidelines in Thursday Meeting

On Thursday, the Pasadena Rental Housing Board will consider whether to adopt guidelines for rent decreases that would give tenants and landlords a clearer framework for responding habitability problems and reductions in housing services. The proposal, prepared by the city’s Rent Stabilization Department, asks the Board to review examples from Los Angeles and Santa Monica and decide whether to direct staff to develop a local version.

Authority for such rules comes from Measure H, passed by Pasadena voters in 2022, which added Article XVIII to the City Charter. That measure created rent control and eviction protections while empowering the Board to adopt regulations.

In July 2024, the Board approved rules allowing tenants to petition for downward rent adjustments if landlords fail to maintain habitable premises or reduce services. Petitions must describe the problem, estimate the rental value lost, and provide the basis for that estimate. Without guidelines, tenants and landlords must rely on individual calculations.

Other cities offer models Pasadena could follow. Los Angeles uses advisory valuation guidelines to help determine reasonable reductions when evidence is lacking. Santa Monica’s rules are more extensive, setting dollar ranges for conditions such as $18 to $228 per month for roof leaks or pest infestations, up to $715 for loss of parking. They also allow percentage reductions of monthly rent for serious issues like noise, odors, or safety hazards. These ranges adjust automatically every two years to reflect changes in rental markets.

Any guidelines Pasadena may adopt would serve only as references, with reductions still determined on a case-by-case basis.