City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 FROM: HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: MOBILE HOME PARKS RENT STABILIZATION ORDINANCE ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARING ISSUE:
Conduct a public hearing pursuant to Section 5.75.180 of the Riverside Municipal Code relative to activities associated with the Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Ordinance over the preceding 12-month period from September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2026.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
That the City Council:
Conduct a public hearing as required by Section 5.75.180 of the Riverside Municipal Code for the Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Ordinance; Direct staff to notify mobile home park owners and tenant representatives on record of the maximum allowable rent increase for calendar year 2027 is 2.56% pursuant to the Section 5.75.100 f the Riverside Municipal Code; and Receive a report on all activities that have taken place relative to the Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Ordinance for the 2026 report from September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026.
BACKGROUND:
Section 5.75.180 of the Riverside Municipal Code (RMC) requires the City Manager to provide an annual report to the City Council regarding activities related to the Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Ordinance (Ordinance) during the preceding 12-month period and requires an annual public hearing to be conducted during the month of September.
In 2019, City Council directed staff to conduct a comprehensive review of the entire Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Procedure adopted on August 25, 1992. Staff worked with the City Attorney's office to review the Ordinance and comparable mobile home park rent stabilization ordinances and procedures. Staff identified provisions that could be clarified or improved and met with the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Associations (WMA) to discuss the existing Ordinance and potential amendments. Additional meetings with WMA, local mobile home park owners, and park residents were placed on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the 2022 annual public hearing on the Ordinance, the maximum allowable rent increase for 2023 was announced at 7.36%, which was the highest increase under the Ordinance at that time. In response, City Council directed staff to research options for capping annual rent increases, conduct community outreach with mobile home park owners and residents, and present proposed amendments to the Housing and Homelessness Committee for consideration.
Staff subsequently reviewed proposed amendments to the Ordinance with the City Attorney’s Office. The proposed amendments were shared with mobile home park residents in June 2024 and with the WMA and local mobile home park owners in July 2024 to solicit input and feedback.
On September 23, 2024, the Housing and Homelessness Committee considered the proposed amendments and voted to forward recommendations, including a cap on annual rent increases, to the City Council for consideration.
On February 4, 2025, the City Council discussed and approved the following amendments to the Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Ordinance:
Action Item No.
Proposed Amendment
Ordinance Section
1 Adding and revising definitions
5.75.030
Definitions
2 Adding requirements for tenant notifications under the ordinance a. i. – iv in Section 5.75.040
Ordinance Notification
a. Forty-eight hours prior to any rental agreement in excess of 12 months being executed by a current mobile home owner or prospective mobile home owner, the mobile home park owner must:
i. Offer the option of a 12 month or less rental agreement to receive the benefits of the Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Program (MHPRSP). ii. Provide a City Informational Sheet to residents that give tenants an overview of the MHPRSP, its benefits, and contact information of the Administrator. iii. Provide in writing that if a rental agreement with a term of more than 12 months is signed, the rental agreement is not subject to the MHPRSP. iv. At the time the rental agreement is first offered to the mobile home owner or prospective mobile home owner, they should have at least 30 days to inspect the Rental Agreement, and void the Rental Agreement by notifying the MH Park Owner in writing within 72 hours of the acceptance of a Rental Agreement. 3 MHPRSP and city informational sheet shall be posted in the office of every mobile home park and in the recreation building or clubhouse of every mobile home park.
Section 5.75.050 Information Supplied to Tenants
4 Annual registration requirements for park owners due annually on June 1st to include Mobile Home Parks name; the name(s), businesses address(es) contact information, business address, business telephone number(s) of Mobile Home Park Owner representative or principal and onsite manager; and name(s) and address(es) to which all required notices and correspondences may be sent.
Certification of registration forms.
Notice of sale of a mobile home park
Section 5.75.060 Annual Registration
5 Prohibiting retaliation for tenants participating in the Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Program.
5.75.080
Retaliation Prohibited
6 The annual rent may be increased by an amount over the existing annual rent by an amount which does not exceed eighty percent (80%) of the percentage increase in the CPI for the twelve-month period ending July 31st of the prior year provided, however, that the annual automatic increase shall not exceed four percent (4%) of the base rent and may be at least two percent (2%) of the base rent charged prior to the increase.
5.75.100
Automatic Annual Rental Increases
7 Rent following the expiration of an exempt lease: A mobile home space that was previously exempt under a lease pursuant to Civil Code Section 798.17, upon the expiration of that lease and conversion to a less than 12-month lease, the Base Space Rent, for the purposes of calculating the annual adjustment, shall be the rent in effect as of the date of expiration of the lease.
5.75.110 Rent
Following the Expiration of an Exempt Lease
8 Limiting the frequency of rental increases
a. To not more than once per calendar year. Proposed rental increases resulting from an unseen assessment, special tax or general tax increase shall be submitted to the Rent Review
5.75.120
Limitation on frequency of rental increase.
DISCUSSION:
This report provides the City Council with an update on activities related to the Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Ordinance during the reporting period of September 1, 2025, through August 31, 2026, in accordance with RMC Section 5.75.080.
Ordinance Notification - RMC 5.75.040
Any prospective mobile home owner must be offered the option of renting a mobile home space in a manner which will permit the prospective mobile home owner to receive the benefits of this Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Program which includes, but is not limited to, rental of a mobile home space on a tenancy of 12 months or less in duration. Such a person cannot be denied the option of a tenancy of 12 months or less in duration. The mobile home park owner shall provide each prospective tenant with a photocopy of the written notification set forth in Section subsection B below and will provide each prospective tenant with a copy of this chapter.
If the City receives a complaint or notification from a prospective or existing tenant alleging that a required State Law disclosure has not been provided, the Housing and Human Services Department will notify the California Department of Housing and Community Development, as (HHS) appropriate. If the City receives a complaint regarding noncompliance with disclosure requirements established under RMC Section 5.75.027, HHS will coordinate with the City Attorney’s Office to determine appropriation action.
During the reporting period, HHS staff also remained available to answer questions from mobile home park residents regarding the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the calculation of maximum allowable rent increases, and the interpretation and application of the Ordinance.
Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Ordinance
On March 4, 2025, the City Council further amended RMC Section 5.75.100 to establish the annual automatic rent increases may not exceed four percent (4%) of the base rent and may not be less than two percent (2%) of the base rent charged immediately prior to the increase.
Under the Ordinance, certain additional rent increases may be permitted when the applicable requirements and criteria established by the RMC are satisfied. Section 5.75.100 identifies the following categories of allowable rent adjustments:
Up to 80% of the change in the CPI for the year ending July 31st; for the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario region for the preceding 12 months, with rent increases not to exceed four percent (4%) and may not be less than two percent (2%) of base rent; Changes in property taxes or government-mandated costs exceeding two percent (2%) per year; Qualified capital improvements to existing facilities;
Increases in applicable State fees; and
Rent increases associated with the sale of mobile home spaces.
The following table represents historical annual rent increases based on 80% of the applicable CPI calculations and provides context for the rent increases established under the Ordinance prior to implementation of the four percent (4%) maximum annual automatic increases adopted in March 2025.
Mobile Home Parks Annual Rent Increase
Year
CPI Index
Maximum Rent Increase
CPI Source
2011
2.40%
1.92%
Los Angeles–Anaheim-Riverside
2012
2.40%
1.92%
2013
2.30%
1.84%
2014
0.80%
0.64%
2015
1.80%
1.44%
2016
1.10%
0.88%
2017
1.40%
1.12%
2018
2.80%
2.24%
2019
3.90%
3.12%
2020
2.60%
2.08%
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
2021
1.70%
1.36%
2022
6.50%
5.20%
2023
9.20%
7.36%
2024
3.40%
2.72%
2025
2.80%
2.24%
2026
3.50%
2.80%
2027 Maximum Allowable Rent Increase
The CPI for the 12-month period ending July 31, 2026 is 3.2%. Therefore, the maximum rent increase associated with the CPI for calendar year 2027 is 2.56%, representing 80% of the applicable CPI.
Specifically, the 2.56% CPI-based increase is greater than the minimum annual automatic increase of 2% and does not exceed the maximum annual automatic increase of 4% established by RMC Section 5.75.100.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
Prepared by: Agripina Neubauer, Housing Project Manager Approved by: Michelle Davis, Housing and Human Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Julie Nemes, Finance Director
Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: James Johnson, City Attorney
Attachments:
Public Hearing Notice
Presentation
Mobile Home Parks Rent Stabilization Annual Public Hearing ● Page 2