Pasadena Workshop Tonight Walks Tenants and Landlords Through Rent Stabilization Basics

The City of Pasadena’s Rent Stabilization Department will hold a free public workshop Tuesday at 6 p.m. offering an overview of the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance and the protections it sets for renters and property owners under Charter Article XVIII.

The session, held at the Los Robles Building at 199 S. Los Robles Ave. and simulcast on Zoom, comes during a rent-increase cycle that caps annual hikes on covered units at 2.25% through Sept. 30. According to a city press release, the agenda covers how that cap is set, the legal grounds a landlord may use to end a tenancy, when relocation assistance is required, how tenants and landlords can petition the Pasadena Rental Housing Board, and how the city’s rental registration system works.

The workshop is the June installment of the department’s 2026 monthly series, which meets the second Tuesday of each month. Department staff will remain after the presentation to answer questions and connect attendees with resources, the press release said.

Charter Article XVIII — the Pasadena Fair and Equitable Housing Charter Amendment — was approved by city voters as Measure H on Nov. 8, 2022, with 53.8% of the vote, and took effect Dec. 22, 2022. The measure caps annual rent increases on multi-family units built before Feb. 1, 1995, establishes just-cause eviction protections for all Pasadena rental properties after 12 months of tenancy, and requires annual registration of rental units. An independent Rental Housing Board oversees implementation.

The 2.25% Annual General Adjustment now in effect was adopted by the board at its Aug. 7, 2025, meeting. Under Charter §1808, the cap is set at 75% of the annual Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles–Riverside–Orange County region, measured over the 12 months ending in March. Owners seeking to raise rent above the cap must file a petition for upward adjustment.

The department, which the City Council created in December 2023, has registered more than 21,900 rental units across nearly 5,500 properties, according to its inaugural annual report released in March. The report cited an 87% compliance rate during the first nine months of the 2025 rental registration cycle. Operations are funded by a $238-per-unit annual Rental Housing Fee paid by landlords.

“Releasing our first Annual Report is a proud moment for our department and for the City of Pasadena,” Helen Morales, director of the department, said in a March statement. “From the very beginning, our focus has been on serving tenants and landlords with fairness and transparency.”

Morales, who took the helm of the department on July 1, 2024, after a nationwide search, has overseen an expansion of community outreach. In February, the department launched a drop-in series called “Chats & Snacks with a Housing Counselor” at community locations around Pasadena.

“We know that getting to our office during regular business hours is not always convenient for everyone,” Morales said in February. “Chats & Snacks is about reducing barriers and meeting residents where they are.”

Tuesday’s session is open to anyone — renter, landlord, or member of the public. The Zoom link is available at Bit.ly/MonthlyRSDWorkshops. The department can be reached at RentStabilization@CityofPasadena.net or (626) 744-7999.