On Friday the Secretary of State Alex Padilla confirmed that tenant activists have gathered enough signatures to qualify their state-wide rent control measure for the November ballot. With the fate of the Costa Hawkins Act in the hands of Californian voters, it is vital that rental housing professionals in California be vocal in their opposition. 

The Potential Effects of This Rent Control Measure

If passed, this rent control ballot measure (also known as “The Housing Freeze”) could:

• Allow rent caps on properties to be locked in place forever
• Open the door for rent control on single family homes and new construction
• Lead to lawsuits, as it unclear what constitutes fair market value
• Grant new powers to regulatory bodies to impose or modify rent policies – without public oversight
• Allow proponents to intervene in lawsuits with all their expenses paid by taxpayers – even if they lose

While less than 20 cities currently have rent control regulations (with many activists aiming to put a rent control ordinance for their city on the ballot as well), repealing the Costa Hawkins Act would invite local governments to create their own rent control regulations. Owners with multiple properties in different Californian cities would need to be mindful of the differences in rent control regulations (with some cities tacking on “just cause” eviction regulations onto their rent control ordinances) as well.

Although multiple tenants’ rights groups believe that rent control can help alleviate the rising rental rates in major metros across California, repealing the Costa Hawkins Act would be detrimental to the rental supply. Not only would it discourage property owners from investing their extra capital into new developments, but it could also easily encourage them to liquidate the assets that can no longer be profitable.

So What Can I Do?

In an attempt to strike down this rent control measure, here are a few things you can do:

1. Be Vocal

While you know that rent control is a temporary solution that does nothing to address the much bigger issue of the rental housing shortage, not many people understand the rental industry like you do. Be vocal about your opposition – about the effects rent control will have for both owners and tenants.

2. Join the No Housing Freeze

Supported by the California Apartment Association, the No Housing Freeze is a state-wide campaign to preserve the Costa-Hawkins Act. Click here to join.

3. Stay Up to Date

As you know, the process of approving rental regulations in California can move extremely fast. Stay up to date on all Californian rental housing legislation and regulations by subscribing to this blog.

Why Do You Personally Oppose the Rent Control Measure? How Will This Affect Your Properties?
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