Council Adopts Rent Stabilization Ordinance on 4-3 Vote; Registry and Board Move Toward January Launch
The Oct. 6 adoption caps annual increases at the lower of 60 percent of CPI or 3 percent for pre-1995 rentals and creates a rent board and citywide rental registry.
The Santa Barbara City Council has adopted its Residential Rent Stabilization and Residential Rental Registry Programs Ordinance on a 4-3 vote, closing out months of debate and setting the city on course to start a permanent rent program on Jan. 1. The adoption vote took place Tuesday, Oct. 6.
According to the city, the ordinance sets the rules for annual rent adjustments and lays out petition processes for both tenants and landlords. It creates a Rent Stabilization Board that will issue guidance on the program and hear appeals on petitions, and it establishes a rental registry covering all rental properties in the city to support administration and enforcement for rent-stabilized units.
Under the policy, annual rent increases for covered units are capped at the lower of 60 percent of the Consumer Price Index or 3 percent, according to published accounts of the council's deliberations. Units built before Feb. 1, 1995, fall under the rules, and the city's original cost estimate for standing up the program was $2 million, according to published accounts.
The final adoption followed a week of procedural steps. On Sept. 29, the council voted 4-3 to allocate $500,000 from the Measure I Flexible Housing and Homelessness Fund to support implementation, and the ordinance returned for adoption on Oct. 6. The exemptions question dominated the earlier first reading on Sept. 22, when Councilmember Meagan Harmon pressed for carve-outs covering certain deed-restricted affordable housing and Section 8 voucher units, saying of her support, per the Santa Barbara Independent: "My support for rent stabilization has been clear over the years. My support is still strong. But this ordinance, specifically - for me to vote yes - must include those two exemptions."
City staff now begin implementation: running the fee study, hiring a program administrator, building the rental registry, and preparing informational materials for tenants and landlords. The city says it will share updates as implementation moves forward. Residents who want the meeting record can find the Oct. 6 agenda, key documents, and video through the city's council meetings page.
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