San Leandro is working on a local rent control law called the Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
The ordinance would cap annual rent increases, with no banking of unused rent increases or vacancy decontrol, where landlords can change the rent after the unit becomes vacant.
Community development department staff said there would be rent decreases if services are not working, like laundry facilities. The first and second reading of the ordinance is expected by spring 2026.
The council approved an extension for property managers to register on July 31 instead of Jan. 31 due to the city saying they need to develop software for the rental registry.
‘I dread every January because that’s when I get my rent increase’
– Resident of 15 years
A community member asked during the Oct. 20 city council meeting what would happen if landlords do not register to their city’s rental registry. Community development director Tom Liao said rent increases can not be applied to rental units if landlords do not register.
Public comments were made about the rent stabilization ordinance during a city council work session. “I dread every January because that’s when I get my rent increase,” said one resident of 15 years.
The city council made rent stabilization a top priority in February and the city made housing protections a priority in 2023.
Renters have said during outreach efforts on the ordinance that a 5% yearly rental raise cap is too high. City staff plan to come back with a draft ordinance that includes the city council’s work session consensus of a 3-3.75% annual rent cap.
Public feedback was collected by the department in August and September. Outreach efforts were translated to Cantonese and Spanish. Information was posted in city buildings and staff approached people in grocery stores and social service centers to tell them about the ordinance and to encourage them to give feedback.
Property owners have also given feedback about the ordinance. Some said it’s being implemented too quickly, state and city tenant protection laws already exist, and that the program will result in rising costs of insurance and taxes.
One landlord said when a tenant doesn’t pay rent landlords have to cover costs like utilities, unit repairs and insurance.
“You wanna have people invest in San Leandro,” said a resident of 20 years. “What I have been looking at, who owns the rental properties in San Leandro, they’re owned by people who don’t live here. It’s an investment, it’s extractive.”
