Legislative Update - April 28, 2022
Just In: Chula Vista Delays Hearing on Restrictive Rental Law, Again
SCRHA received confirmation earlier today that the Chula Vista City Council will not vote on the so-called “Landlord and Tenant Ordinance” on May 3 as planned. The hearing is now anticipated to occur on May 17. It has been somewhat of a roller coaster over the last several months with the ordinance set for a hearing, and then stakeholders told the item was no longer moving forward, only to have the council reverse course and request a hearing on the item. SCRHA appreciates that city staff has been communicative with stakeholders and would still like to meet with SCRHA to discuss specifics.
It is unlikely that enough amendments to the existing draft proposal can be made that would cause SCRHA to remove its opposition. All versions of the ordinance to date, and there have been many, are still overly restrictive and punish good actors when the motivation behind the ordinance was to go after the bad actors. The ordinance is overly complicated, and most rental housing providers will still find themselves subject to some provisions. To read the most recent draft ordinance available to the public, click here.
SCRHA thanks members and non-member housing providers who have stayed engaged on this issue over the last several months. We know your time is valuable, and we appreciate your advocacy and support. SCRHA will continue to share important information and updates on this alarming proposal. For now, please save the evening of May 17 on your calendar to attend the City Council meeting. The Mayor strongly supports this additional regulation, and several of her colleagues have indicated support as well. We will need housing providers, residents, homeowners, and others to show up and tell the council that there is no need for this new set of restrictive laws. SCRHA remains committed to working with the city and stakeholders to draft something fair and balanced with minimal impacts on those trying to provide shelter to Chula Vistans so that the focus can remain on the real need, more housing! Make sure you are signed up for SCRHA Action Alerts!
Rent Increases Effective August 1 and Later Limited to 10% for San Diego & Riverside Areas
As SCRHA previously reported, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has released the CPI change figures for San Diego and Riverside Counties. Due to high inflation, increases will be limited to 10% because the law states that rent increases for rentals subject to the rent cap can never be more than 10%. The figure that will apply to Imperial County has not been published yet. Currently, for rent increases that take effect through July 31, the cap is 9.1% for San Diego, 8.6% for Riverside, and 9% for Imperial County. More information on state rent caps and just cause can be found here. SCRHA will be updating this page soon to include the new numbers.