DATE: 10/15/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Housing and Homeless Solutions, City Manager’s Office 2025-397
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
MOBILE HOME RENT STABILIZATION ORDINANCE AD HOC COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATIONS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to consider recommendations from the Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance Ad Hoc Committee and to provide direction to staff on the components to include in the draft ordinance.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Receive and file the report from the Ad Hoc Committee regarding Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance Recommendations.
b. Provide staff direction on the components to include in the draft Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
c. Direct staff to return to the City Council for a first reading of the Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance in late fall.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
• June 2022: In response to requests from mobile home residents for a rent stabilization ordinance (“RSO”), the City Council directed staff to develop an RSO and program.
• November 2022: The City Council directed staff to analyze mobile home parks to determine if a “legitimate government interest” existed for rent stabilization (“Phase 1 Study”).
• October 2023: RSG, the City’s RSO consultant, presented findings from the Phase I Study to the City Council. The findings indicated that a “legitimate government interest” existed for rent stabilization. The City Council subsequently directed staff to proceed with establishing a local mobile home RSO and program. • August 2024: RSG completed a “Phase II Study”, which detailed various options for structuring a mobile home rent stabilization program and best practices for the City Council to consider.
• September 2024: RSG presented findings from the Phase II Study. The City Council directed staff to move forward with a mobile home RSO and explore an inlieu agreement with park owners. • November 2024: City Council created an Ad Hoc Committee to further analyze the in-lieu agreement concept and gather information from the community. • March and April 2025: The Ad Hoc Committee convened two park owner workshops and two homeowner workshops to collect feedback on the in-lieu agreement concept.
• June 2025: The City Council directed staff to exclude an in-lieu agreement option from the RSO and directed the Ad Hoc Committee to finalize its recommendations on key RSO provisions.
• July 2025: The Ad Hoc Committee convened one park owner workshop and one homeowner workshop to collect feedback on key RSO provisions.
ANALYSIS:
The primary objectives of the proposed Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance are to:
1. Protect Mobile Home Park Homeowners from excessive and unreasonable rent increases.
2. Allow Mobile Home Park Owners to increase rents to keep pace with rising operating costs.
3. Implement a best practice Mobile Home RSO and program that facilitates a streamlined process to receive and review Park Owner and Homeowner petitions.
4. Implement a fair fee structure that offsets most of the costs associated with implementation of a Mobile Home RSO.
To achieve these objectives, the Council Ad Hoc Committee recommends that the City Council approve the recommendations outlined in the attached report and direct staff to return with a draft RSO Ordinance for a first reading in late fall.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
It is anticipated that the proposed fees will offset most of the costs associated with implementation of a Mobile Home RSO; however, the proposed Ordinance may not be 100% revenue neutral. Staff will monitor fee revenues and programming expenses and periodically report back to the City Council on the program.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the common sense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action involves recommendations related to a proposed Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance. Approval of the recommendations and implementation of a Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance will not have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: KAREN ROPER, HOUSING & HOMELESS SOLUTIONS MANAGER REVIEWED BY: JACOB ELLIS, CITY MANAGER
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Report from Ad Hoc Committee Regarding Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance Recommendations