Camarillo City Council
AGENDA REPORT
Date: October 22, 2025
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: Greg Ramirez, City Manager
Submitted by: Philip Lanzafame, Interim Director of Community Development Subject: Introduction of an Interim Urgency Ordinance Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on Rent Increases above 3.2 Percent at Mobilehome Parks in the City of Camarillo for 180 Days
BACKGROUND
CMC Chapter 10.50 provides for voluntary mediation to assist parties in a rent dispute, which apply to mobilehome parks. In March of this year, the City began receiving complaints regarding rent increases in mobilehome parks. The City Council on April 23, 2025 directed staff to research the issue of mobilehome rent stabilization. On May 15, 2025, the City Council voted to establish an ad hoc subcommittee on the topic of mobilehome rent stabilization. Staff is recommending a temporary moratorium, for 180 days, on rent increases as discussions regarding a permanent mobilehome rent stabilization ordinance are occurring. A temporary moratorium on rent increases precludes mobilehome park owners from increasing rent beyond 3.2 percent while the possibility of a permanent ordinance is discussed.
DISCUSSION
Staff prepared a temporary urgency ordinance which if adopted, prevent rent increases above 3.2 percent from occurring during the effective period of the ordinance. The Ordinance is drafted as a temporary measure that will lapse after 180 days unless further extended by the City Council. During that time, a more thorough and permanent ordinance for mobile home park rent stabilization will be drafted and brought back to the Council for additional consideration. Adoption of the Urgency Ordinance will require a 4/5 vote of the Council. If adopted, the Urgency Ordinance is effective immediately. During the effective period, park owners may not increase rents above 3.2 percent, reflecting the Consumer Price Index for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim for June 2025 when compared to June 2024.
Residents in mobilehome parks are often low income, are on fixed incomes, and/or are elderly, and may not have the resources to secure alternative housing when rents are
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significantly and unexpectedly raised. Sudden and excessive rent increases for mobilehome park tenants are likely to exacerbate housing insecurity in the City.
Mobilehomes are a key source of affordable housing in the City. There are three mobilehome parks in Camarillo: both Casa Del Norte Mobile Home Park and Camarillo Mobile Estates each provide 135 spaces, and Lamplighter Mobile Home Park provides 227 spaces, resulting in an approximate total of 497 mobilehome spaces within Camarillo.
Residents of mobilehome parks are in a unique position in that they have made a substantial investment in their spaces and mobilehomes. The imposition of sudden and excessive rent increases that are beyond the reach of mobilehome park residents require such residents to identify alternative sites for the relocation of mobilehomes, which is difficult to do given the shortage of vacant mobilehome spaces, and restrictions on the age, size or style of mobile homes permitted in many mobilehome parks.
Numerous cities and counties in California have some form of mobilehome rent control.
While the structure of such ordinances may be similar, individual terms vary, based on the policy choices of the Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no budget impact as a result of this action.
CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLAN FY 2025/26
This interim urgency ordinance supports the City Council’s Strategic Plan Goal and Objective 2.3 – Community Enrichment - Foster comprehensive community wellness through strategic initiatives that create a foundation of physical, mental, and social health for all residents, ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities for healthy living.
CEQA DETERMINATIONS
The proposed ordinance is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, sections: 15060(c)(2) of the CEQA Guidelines (Title 14, Chapter 3 of the California Code of Regulations) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonable foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment); 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly). The proposed ordinance establishes a moratorium on rent increases at mobilehome parks within Camarillo, and does not propose any development. Because there is no possibility that this proposed ordinance may have a significant adverse effect on the environment, the introduction or adoption of this ordinance is exempt from CEQA.
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RECOMMENDATION
1. Find that the Interim Urgency Ordinance Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on Rent Increases above 3.2 Percent at Mobilehome Parks in the City of Camarillo for 180 Days is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) under the State CEQA Guidelines §§ 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3); and
2. Motion to waive further reading and introduce and adopt Interim Urgency Ordinance Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on Rent Increases above 3.2 percent at Mobilehome Parks in the City of Camarillo effective upon approval of 4/5 of the Council for 180 days.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed Urgency Ordinance
REFERENCE MATERIALS – AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AT CITY HALL None