Oxnard City Council Takes Next Steps Towards the Adoption of Local Rent Control and “Just Cause” Evi
At the February 9th Special Oxnard City Council meeting, the Council was presented with two draft ordinances: one to impose a local rent control ordinance and one to establish “just cause” eviction requirements. Following extensive public comment spanning 4 hours, the City Council gave City Staff additional direction regarding the draft ordinance’s provisions including the rent increase limitation, relocation fees for no-fault tenancy terminations, and whether the ordinances would be made permanent or subject to a specific sunset date.
There were several options presented relative to the annual rent increase limitation including: 5% as originally directed by the Council, 2% put forth by renter advocate groups, and a third option as a compromise between the other two options by establishing a rent increase range from a floor of 2% and a ceiling of 5% based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). A majority of the Council were supportive of maintaining the initial direction of an allowed annual increase of up to 5%.
The Council also discussed the amount of the relocation fees to be paid for no-fault tenancy terminations. City staff had proposed one-months’ rent or $2,500, whichever is greater. Another option put forward was for two-months’ rent or $5,000 whichever is greater. Following further Council deliberations, the Council directed staff to revise the draft ordinance to set relocation fees at two months’ rent or $5,000 whichever is greater.
Another issue that was discussed was whether the draft ordinances should be permanent or have a specified expiration date. The majority of the Council believed that establishing a specified “sunset” date would provide for an opportunity to re-evaluate the ordinances and determine whether they should expire, continue and/or continue with further modifications. Staff was directed to incorporate a December 31, 2030 expiration date for both draft ordinances.
In a letter submitted to the City Council prior to the meeting, the points of which were further reiterated during the meeting’s public comment period, the Association expressed strong opposition to any form of rent control or rent regulations, that rent control will not solve the City’s housing affordability gap, that rent control will decrease the quality and quality of rental housing in the City and will discourage development of new rental units. We also highlighted the tremendous financial cost of the proposed programs, estimated by City Staff at $1.2 million and urged the Council to recognize the enormous fiscal impact, overall detrimental long-term effects that rent control measures will have on the City and to seek a path forward through new and innovative housing solutions, not decades old, failed housing policies.
The Association recommended that the City Council allow for the State’s comprehensive rent control and renter protection law, Assembly Bill 1482, to operate unfettered for a reasonable amount of time in order to properly evaluate the overall impact and effectiveness of the State law within the City of Oxnard and only then determine, what if any, additional local action is needed.
We also commended the City Council for directing a public outreach campaign to ensure that Oxnard renters and rental housing providers are knowledgeable of existing laws and local regulations, their related rights and responsibilities, and available programs and resources.
It is anticipated that the City Council will return at a later, yet to be determined date, to review and potentially adopt the final proposed ordinances. The Association will continue to strongly advocate for our members interests on this critical matter, engage in a dialogue with City Staff and City Council, and provide updates.