Vote on $5.63 Million Rent Stabilization Budget, $237 Fee Set for Thursday

The Pasadena Rental Housing Board is scheduled to consider setting a $5.63 million operating budget for the city’s Rent Stabilization Department for fiscal year 2027, along with a proposed annual rental housing fee of $237.52 per unit charged to landlords subject to the charter. The April 16 vote would determine the board’s operating budget for the department and the fee level meant to support it in the next fiscal year.

The proposal is significant for Pasadena renters and property owners because it would shape how the city funds rent registration, hearings, enforcement and public outreach under Measure H. The staff report says the budget would support 20 full-time positions and total $5,630,071, with $3,510,005 for personnel, $1,283,144 for services and supplies, and $836,922 for internal service charges. Under the charter, the board is authorized to establish a budget for implementation of Article XVIII and determine the rental housing fee, though the report also says the department’s budget is incorporated into the broader City of Pasadena budget process.

According to the report, the department began work on the fiscal 2027 budget earlier than it had in prior years, with discussion starting in November 2025 rather than in the spring. Staff said the board reviewed preliminary enhancements on Nov. 20, 2025, considered an updated preliminary budget and fee on March 5, 2026, and reviewed a proposed version on April 2, 2026. The staff report says the department budget is also scheduled to be presented to the Housing, Homelessness and Planning Committee on May 6, 2026, as part of the citywide budget process before the City Council ratifies the city’s fiscal budget with other departments in June.

Several proposed spending increases are tied to growing workload and ongoing program demands. Translation services are proposed at $100,000 after monthly costs averaged about $7,394 and the most recent invoice totaled $13,137, with staff saying professional translation remains the city’s recommended standard for official documents and in-person interactions. The budget for contracted hearing officer services would rise from $100,000 to $150,000, which staff said would provide about 564 hours of capacity and could support roughly 32 hearing proceedings in fiscal 2027 as petition volume grows.

The rental registry line item would also rise sharply, from $87,000 to $150,000. Staff said Pasadena entered a three-year contract with 3di in February 2024 and that changing vendors after the contract expires could trigger one-time implementation and integration costs on top of first-year subscription expenses. First-year costs for 3di’s services totaled about $120,000, according to the report, and staff said the potential expansion of registry requirements, integration needs and inflationary pressures could make switching more expensive than staying with the current provider.

The proposal also includes higher internal service charges and support for other city staff. Internal charges would total $836,922, including $307,147 for the city’s cost allocation plan and $498,058 for information technology services. In addition, the rental housing fee would support a Deputy City Attorney position budgeted at $250,514 and a proposed $60,000 contribution to a Pasadena Public Health Department community engagement initiative. The report says that initiative would draw on trained staff for town halls, meetings, focus groups, interviews and surveys, and that, if the initiative does not secure enough overall funding, the proposed contribution would be redirected to outreach and engagement activities.

For landlords, the most immediate number in the proposal is the annual fee, which staff recommends setting at $237.52 per rental unit. For tenants, the larger question is whether the board will continue backing a staffing and service plan designed to maintain registration, hearings, legal support, translation and outreach capacity as the department’s caseload matures. The report frames the spending plan as the financial commitment needed for the department to carry out its responsibilities during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027.

The Pasadena Rental Housing Board is scheduled to meet at 6:00 P.M. on April 16, 2026 in Council Chamber, Pasadena City Hall 100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S249. For more information call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.