Rent Control Charter Amendments Headed to Ballot

Voters will have their say on revisions to the rent control amendment in November.

The City Council voted unanimously to place the amendments on the ballots. The amendments are aimed at refining existing provisions and addressing various ambiguities in the City’s rent control and eviction protections.

Mayor Victor Gordo recused himself, and Councilmember Justin Jones was absent.

“These Board recommended Charter changes aim to achieve several goals: replacing court-stricken language with clearer wording, addressing ambiguities in the language that cannot be resolved through Board regulations, ensuring alignment with practices in other City departments, and streamlining operations to potentially reduce administrative burdens, financial costs, or legal liabilities for both the Board and the Department,” according to a City staff report.

The amendments include revision of rental registry deadlines, compliance with the Ellis Act, introduction of alternative relocation assistance timelines, change of the annual security deposit interest rate announcement date, partial exemption from rent stabilization provisions for rental units occupied by government-subsidized tenants, establishment of an alternate process for the removal of Board members for misconduct, requiring a two-thirds vote.

Other amendments include changing the date for the first annual general adjustment announcement, correcting references within the City Charter for clarity and consistency, authorizing the City Council to adopt procedures for processing voter-initiated petitions for Board member removal, clarifying ambiguous language, and aligning legal requirements with existing practices.

Voters adopted Measure H on November 8, 2022, which introduced rent control measures and just cause eviction protections.