Santa Monica City Council
July 14, 2026

Proposed Ballot Measures to
Amend City Charter
Articles XVIII and XXIII
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
City Charter Articles XVIII and XXIII
 Article XVIII (Rent Control)
 Governs role, authority, and structure of Rent Control Board  Regulates Maximum Allowable Rents for rent controlled units  Regulates grounds for eviction for rent controlled units  Article XXIII (Housing Policies)
 Regulates grounds for eviction for “non-rent controlled units”  Section 1806 and 2304 are nearly identical
 Article XXIII applies to “All residential rental units in the City of Santa Monica except those units that are subject to rent control pursuant to Article XVIII of this Charter or are single-family homes.” Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Proposed Charter Amendments - Process
 January 27, 2026
 Council provided direction to propose additional tenant protections and tenant stability measures, including tools used in similarly-situated jurisdictions  April 9, 2026
 Rent Control Board considered Article XVIII administrative amendments  May 14, 2026
 Rent Control Board held public hearing on Article XVIII administrative amendments
 CAO presented potential just cause eviction amendments to Rent Control Board  June 11, 2026
 Rent Control Board voted to recommend placing Article XVIII administrative amendments on November 2026 Ballot
 June 25, 2026
 Rent Control Board held public hearing on just cause eviction amendments and voted to recommended placing just cause eviction amendments on November 2026 ballot Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Proposed Resolutions
 Resolution 1:
 Affirming of local just cause eviction regulations
 Rent Control Board administrative amendments
 Preserving affordable housing
 Resolution 2:
 Rent threshold eviction regulation
 Resolution 3:
 Limiting evictions based on the addition of new occupants  Limiting evictions of remaining household members after tenant vacates
 Extending just cause eviction protections to single unit dwellings and updating owner move-in eviction regulations
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Proposed Resolution 1
 Affirming local just cause eviction regulations (Articles XVIII and XXIII)  Finding that local just cause eviction laws are more protective than state just cause eviction law
 Rent Control Board administrative amendments (Article XVIII Only)  Clarifies Commissioner term limits (3 terms, appointed service and terms more than 2 years count)
 Clarifies maximum allowable registration fee is a ceiling, allows annual upward adjustments of ceiling based on CPI
 Clarifies Board authority to set and extend timelines for issuing decisions on rent adjustment petitions for good cause
 Preserving affordable housing (Articles XVIII and XXIII)  Adds two just cause grounds for eviction from deed restricted affordable unit:
 Tenant does not qualify for deed restricted unit under the terms of the deed restriction and landlord complies with applicable guidelines  Tenant fails to provide proof of qualification for the unit as required by the deed restriction, after written warning
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
AHPP Guidelines for Over Income Tenants
 Tenant who was income eligible at move-in remains eligible for unit if income increases modestly above the income limit for the unit
 If tenant's income increases to more than 140% above the income limit for the unit, certain procedures apply:
 If there is an available affordable unit at a higher income level at the property for which the tenant qualifies, or an available market rate unit at the property, the tenant will be offered that unit
 If the tenant cannot or chooses not to relocate, the tenant will be given a one-year notice to vacate
 Tenant still has right of first refusal to lease any market rate unit at the property that becomes available during that one-year term  Notice to vacate will also be rescinded if during the course of the year, the tenant recertifies their income and demonstrates they qualify again for their unit Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Proposed Resolution 2
 Rent threshold eviction regulation (Articles XVIII and XXIII)  Prohibits eviction for non-payment of rent if tenant owes less than the average of one month’s Small Area Fair Market Rents (“SAFMR”) for 5 Santa Monica Zip Codes for equivalent sized unit
 According to CAO data
 Approximately 75% of eviction cases provided to CAO are for non- payment of rent  Eviction cases filed for as little as $405.67
 Eviction notices have been given to Santa Monica tenants for as little as $73.87
 Landlord would still have ability to collect rent owed below threshold through non-eviction means
 Similar regulations adopted by City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles (Unincorporated), City of Berkeley, City of Oakland Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Proposed Resolution 3
 Limiting eviction based on additional occupants (Articles XVIII and XXIII)
 Prohibits evictions for having more occupants than expressly allowed by written lease if
 Additional occupant is minor child for whom tenant, tenant’s spouse, or tenant’s partner is legally obligated to care
 Additional occupant is specified family member, provided tenant has lived in the unit for a year, and tenant notifies landlord of the additional occupant and familial relationship
 Additional occupant and tenant intend to create a household, provided tenant has lived in the unit for a year, tenant notifies landlord of the additional occupant, and landlord does not unreasonably withhold approval
 According to CAO data:
 20% of non-nonpayment eviction cases provided to CAO were for violating additional or maximum occupant restrictions in leases  Similar to regulations adopted in San Francisco, Oakland, East Palo Alto
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Proposed Resolution 3
 Limiting evictions of lawful remaining household members (Articles XVIII and XXIII)
 Prohibits eviction of a lawful occupant who remains in a unit after the tenant of the owner vacates, provided the lawful occupant lived in the unit for one year before the tenant of the owner vacated and continued occupancy does not violate any affordable housing deed restriction
 Expands on existing protections for children, spouses, and partners who remain in a unit after a tenant vacates due to death or incapacity
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Proposed Resolution 3
 Extending just cause eviction protections to single unit dwellings and condominiums and updating owner move-in eviction
regulations (Article XXIII only)
 Removes Article XXIII exemption for single unit dwellings and condominiums
 For owner move-in evictions from Article XXIII units, requires owner occupy unit within 60 days after tenant vacating and for at least 2 years, otherwise displaced tenant is offered right to return
 Just cause eviction protections for single unit dwellings adopted in recent years by City of Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Pasadena, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, East Palo Alto
 Aligns Article XXIII owner move-in eviction regulations with existing Article XVIII owner move-in eviction regulations Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Proposed Resolution 1 – Administrative Items
Affirmation of
Local Just Cause
Eviction Law
Rent Control
Board Term
Limits
Rent Control
Maximum Unit
Registration Fee
Amendment
Rent Control Board
Petition Decision
Timeline
Preserving Affordable
Housing
Article XVIII X X X X X
Article XXIII X X
Proposed Resolution 2
Non-Payment Eviction Threshold
Non-Payment Eviction
Threshold
Article XVIII X
Article XXIII X
Proposed Resolution 3 – Additional Tenant Protections
Limiting Evictions
Based on New
Occupants
Limiting Evictions of
Remaining Household
Members
Extending Just Cause
Protections to Single Unit
Dwellings
Updating Owner-Move In
Regulations
Article XVIII X X
Article XXIII X X X X
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026
Item 11-B
July 14, 2026