Expands Local Governments’ Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property
Official Summary
Repeals state law that currently restricts the scope of rent-control policies that cities and other local jurisdictions may impose.
Allows policies that would limit the rental rates that residential-property owners may charge for new tenants, new construction, and single-family homes.
In accordance with California law, provides that rent-control policies may not violate landlords’ right to a fair financial return on their rental property.
Fiscal Impact: Potential net reduction in state and local revenues of tens of millions of dollars per year in the long term. Depending on actions by local communities, revenue losses could be less or considerably more.
Show Me The Money (as of 10/22/18)
support: $25,619,691 ; big contributors = AIDS organizations, teachers, nurses
oppose: $65,569,257 ; big contributors = realtors, builders, property rental companies
Notes
Allows local governments across California to adopt rent control on any type of rental housing. Currently, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act (which would be repealed with this measure) prohibits local governments from enacting rent control on free-standing houses, condos and townhouses, and those that were not under rent control before 2/1/1995. About 1/5 of Californians live in cities with rent control already.
If passes, local governments could form rent control boards and define maximum rental rates, and maximum increases in rent when a new renter moves in. The measure requires that landlords would have a fair rate of return.