1 Óscar Quiroz-Medrano
District 8 - Housing and Community Development Commissioner Tuesday, January 27th, 2026
Professional Assessment of the Mobile Home Rental Ordinance (MRO)
Honorable Mayor, Members of the City Council, and San José Residents, My name is Óscar Quiroz-Medrano, and I serve as the Housing and Community Development Commissioner for District 8. The Mobile Home Rental Ordinance (MRO) is scheduled to come before the Mayor and City Council on the 27th of January, and it would directly affect the 749 residents living in mobile home parks in District 8 alone. While door-knocking in one of the mobile home parks in our district, it became clear that many homeowners were unaware of the proposed ordinance and strongly opposed its provisions.
The MRO was established to prevent excessive rent increases, protect housing stability, and preserve mobile home parks as one of the last remaining affordable housing options in San José.
Under the ordinance, annual rent increases are limited, with a minimum of 3% and a maximum of 7%. The ordinance also includes rent control upon sale, meaning park owners may not raise rents to market rate when a mobile home is sold; instead, the regulated rent continues for the next family. Unfortunately, we’ve faced this issue before with the MRO. In 2017, the City carefully reviewed a proposal to allow rent increases when a mobile home is sold—commonly called “vacancy control.” Following thorough analysis and community feedback, the City rejected the proposal because it would have reduced housing affordability, lowered the value of mobile homes, increased the risk of displacement, and primarily benefited park owners without offering clear benefits to the community.
As the City evaluates changes to the Mobile Home Rent Ordinance, aligning with state law is an important step toward strengthening renters’ rights, improving program efficiency, and increasing transparency. However, alignment alone is not sufficient. San José has an opportunity to learn from neighboring jurisdictions that have already implemented equitable and effective
2 frameworks. The City of Clovis, California, offers one such model, having adopted a Mobile Home Rent Review and Stabilization Ordinance in 1978 that balances the financial realities of park ownership with the housing stability needs of mobile home residents. Under the Clovis ordinance, routine rent increases tied to inflation are allowed, while larger increases can be challenged by residents through a formal rent review process. A neutral hearing officer evaluates the proposed increase based on operating costs, maintenance, taxes, and insurance. Both homeowners and park owners contribute deposits to cover hearing costs, with any unused funds refunded equally. Clovis also maintains a dedicated fund for each park, financed through a small monthly fee, to support homeowners’ participation. This system creates a balanced, transparent, and self-funded framework that protects residents while ensuring fairness for park owners—offering a model for San José to consider.
At its core, the Mobile Home Rent Ordinance is about protecting people—seniors, families, and long-term residents who call San José home and rely on the stability that mobile home living provides. I urge the Mayor and City Council to reject the proposed ordinance that would increase the risk of displacement or create redundant regulatory mechanisms. Instead, I encourage pursuing a comprehensive analysis that addresses existing gaps and ensures San José can lead with compassion and evidence-based policy. By strengthening long-term housing stability and drawing from proven models—such as Clovis, California, which thoughtfully balances the needs of residents and park owners—San José can ensure that mobile home communities remain protected and included as our city continues to grow.
In unity and with a spirit of collaboration,
Óscar Quiroz-Medrano
District 8 - Housing and Community Development Commissioner
Dear Mayor Mahan and Members of the San Jose City Council, My name is Noel Ponce, and I am a longtime mobilehome owner and renter of a space in a San Jose mobilehome park.
I am writing to urge you to follow the recommendation of the Housing Commission: to approve only the change needed to make San Jose’s Mobilehome Rent Ordinance (MRO) conform to current state law, and to reject all other proposed amendments.
While I support the state-mandated update to bring long-term leases into compliance with current law, I strongly oppose the additional proposed changes, particularly vacancy decontrol and capital improvement pass-throughs without financial review.
Vacancy decontrol does not merely affect future buyers. It directly reduces the equity of current homeowners, many of whom are seniors, disabled, or living on fixed incomes. For many residents, their mobilehome is their primary, and sometimes only, asset. Allowing rent resets upon sale transfers value from homeowners to park owners and undermines long-term affordability.
Mobilehome parks are also one of San Jose’s most significant sources of naturally occurring, unsubsidized affordable housing. Weakening vacancy control will gradually erode affordability citywide, forcing residents into far more expensive housing options and increasing pressure on the City’s already limited affordable housing resources. Protecting vacancy control is therefore an essential affordable housing preservation strategy.
Additionally, increasing space rents presents a unique and disproportionate hardship for mobilehome owners. Unlike apartment renters, mobilehome owners cannot relocate easily.
Moving a mobilehome is prohibitively expensive or physically impossible due to age and condition. This burden is compounded by San Jose’s severe shortage of affordable housing, making relocation unrealistic for many residents, particularly seniors and those on fixed incomes. As a result, rent increases function not as a market choice, but as forced displacement.
Likewise, allowing rent pass-throughs without a Fair Return Hearing removes essential oversight and ignores the fact that parks already collect funds designated for infrastructure maintenance. Fair Return Hearings exist to balance legitimate park expenses with demonstrated financial need and should not be bypassed.
I am concerned about the process by which these changes were introduced, with limited public notice and without meaningful resident input. I also note that one of the Housing Commission members serves as a Mobilehome Owner/Manager Representative and works for a company involved in owning and managing mobilehome communities. While I respect the Commission’s work, this highlights the importance of transparency and careful review to ensure that recommendations reflect the interests of residents as well as park owners.
As indicated, the Housing Commission carefully reviewed these proposals and recommended approving only the state-required change. I respectfully ask the City Council to follow that recommendation.
Please protect mobilehome residents by:
• Approving only the state-mandated lease conformity update • Rejecting vacancy decontrol
• Rejecting rent pass-throughs without a Fair Return Hearing
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Noel Ponce
San Jose, CA