CITY OF POMONA
COUNCIL REPORT
April 20, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Anita Scott, City Manager
Submitted By: Beverly Johnson, Neighborhood Services Director SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE NO. 4368 OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA AMENDING SECTIONS 30-551 AND 30-563 OF THE POMONA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO FEES ASSOCIATED WITH MOBILE HOME RENT ADJUSTMENT PETITIONS RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council introduce, waive further and give first reading to the following ordinance:
ORDINANCE NO. 4368 – AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF POMONA, AMENDING SECTIONS 30-551 AND 30-563 OF THE POMONA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO FEES ASSOCIATED WITH MOBILE HOME RENT ADJUSTMENT PETITIONS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The proposed Ordinance No. 4368 (Attachment No. 1) amends Sections 30-551 and 30-563 of the Pomona City Code. It requires fees for reviewing and processing mobile home rent adjustment petitions and related costs. The amendments also establish the pass-through that may be allowed to residents. These actions are in accordance with State law and, upon taking effect, will amend Sections 30-551 and 30-563 of the Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
SB1439/GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLICABILITY:
☐ When this box is checked, it indicates the agenda item is subject to the Levine Act SB1439 requirements. Councilmembers are reminded to check their campaign contributions and determine whether they have received a campaign contribution of $500 or more that would require disclosure and/or recusal from discussing or acting on this agenda item. Campaign contributions of $500 or more made: 1) by any person or entity who is identified in the agenda report as the applicant or proposer; or 2) on behalf of the applicant or participant, including a parent, subsidiary or otherwise related business entity; or 3) by any person who has a financial interest in the agenda item requires a councilmember to comply with SB1439.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City does not currently charge fees for mobile home rent adjustment petitions. Approving the amendment will allow the City to recover the costs of processing these petitions, including consultant costs for expert review and analysis and related costs. The proposed amendments to Sections 30-551 and 30-563 would establish authority for the Council to adopt a fee schedule and would require an applicant to pay a petition fee at the time the petition is submitted. The fees will be included in the upcoming Master Fee Schedule update that will be presented to the City Council for approval on May 11, 2026.
PREVIOUS RELATED ACTION:
On September 18, 2026, Ordinance No. 4069 amended the Mobile Home RSO to redefine the calculation for rent increases.
PUBLIC NOTICING REQUIREMENTS:
A Notice of Public Hearing was published on April 10 and April 15, 2026, in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Attachment No. 2).
DISCUSSION:
The City of Pomona City Council established the Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance (“RSO”) originally adopted by Ordinance No. 3652 dated April 28, 1992, and amended by Ordinance No. 3702 dated August 2, 1993, and Ordinance No. 4069 dated September 18, 2006. The RSO caps annual rent increases for mobile home park spaces at 5% or the January CPI increase, whichever is less. The cap applies only to the space rent, not dwelling unit rent.
The RSO allows landlords and tenants to petition for rent adjustments above or below the allowable rent cap. A landlord may file a fair return petition where they contend that the base year net operating income yielded other than a fair return, in which case the base year net operating income may be adjusted, if certain findings are made. A landlord may also file a rent adjustment petition based on capital improvements, other than ordinary repair, replacement and maintenance. In reviewing petitions, factors to be considered include property tax increase/decrease; increase/decrease in living space, furniture, furnishings or equipment; and substantial deterioration of the units other than ordinary wear and tear. Rent adjustment petitions are subject to a hearing and are considered and decided by the Mobile Home Rent Adjustment Board.
Comparative Analysis and Fee Proposal
The RSO does not currently charge a fee to file a rent adjustment petition. Expert review and related costs (i.e. office supplies, translation services, etc.) are covered by other revenue sources, such as administration fees received from grant and loan programs. This revenue source is limited and unsustainable.
Staff reviewed the fee structure of comparable cities with mobile home rent stabilization ordinances and Pomona’s own Rent Stabilization and Eviction Control Ordinance. A comparative review of four cities showed they charge a “fixed rate fee plus” based on the type of petition, or a deposit to process the petition. The Comparison is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Comparative Analysis
City
Petition Fee Amount
No. of Parks
City of Corona
Capital Improvement Petition
$10,500 per petition
Fair Return Petition
$25,000 per petition
Homeowner Petition
$100 per petition
14 City of Carson
Capital Improvement Petition
$13,000 plus $15 per space
Fair Return Petition
Parks w/ 150 spaces or less: $22,500 plus $15 per space Parks w over 150 spaces: $30,000 plus $15 per space
25 City of El Monte
Fair Return Petition
Consultant cost to process petition
Requires a $23,500 deposit to start processing the petition 41 City of Escondido
Fair Return Petition
$7,800 to City, plus consultant cost to process the petition 37 City of Pomona Mobile Home RSO
None
20 On the other hand, the City of Pomona’s Rent Stabilization and Eviction Control Ordinance requires a landlord seeking a rent adjustment to pay for all costs associated with the City’s review, which is determined by taking into consideration the complexity of the petition and the anticipated costs of employing an expert to review the petition.
Staff propose amending the RSO to allow for cost recovery through a fixed rate fee structure paid in advance, similar to the City of Corona. Park owners will be charged a fee of $25,000 for a fair return petition and $10,500 for a capital improvement petition. In addition, mobile homeowners, or tenants under the RSO, will be charged $100 per petition. The fee(s) must be submitted to the City in advance, together with the rent adjustment petitions.
The proposed amendments to Sections 30-551 and 30-563 would establish authority for the Council to adopt a fee schedule and would require an applicant to pay a petition fee at the time the petition is submitted. The above-mentioned fees will be included in the upcoming Master Fee Schedule update that will be presented to the City Council for approval on May 11, 2026.
Prepared by:
Maria A. Siacunco
Housing Services Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment No. 1 – Ordinance No. 4368
Attachment No. 2 – Public Notice
Amending the Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance