Doing what’s good for Ojai.
Ojai needs rent stabilization now!
A majority of Ojai residents do not enjoy the stability and peace of mind that comes with home ownership. It is well known that many of the renters in our community are at risk of being forced out of their town due to the fact that their wages cannot keep pace with rapidly escalating rents. The most effective thing the Ojai City Council can do to protect Ojai renters from crushing market forces is to enact rent stabilization that applies to rental units in our town where it is allowed under current state law. We support rent stabilization in Ojai, would you consider doing the same?
Greetings, Ojai Mayor Betsy Stix and City Councilmembers Suza Francina, Rachel Lang, Leslie Rule, and Andrew Whitman,
As Ojai continues to be heavily marketed as a tourist destination and the beautiful place to live that it is, and despite a dearth of good paying local jobs, residential rental rate increases have far outpaced the relatively modest increases in the incomes of most renters who live here. As a result, many longtime Ojai residents have been priced out and forced to move elsewhere. In an effort to increase fairness and stability, and to the extent California law allows,
WE the undersigned respectfully request that the Ojai City Council enact a strong rent stabilization and “no fault” eviction protection ordinance that will afford members of our community that do not own their home but pay their rent on time and follow the rules, a better chance at remaining in Ojai for the long term.
FAQs
Does the California Tenant Protection Act adequately protect Ojai renters?
NO. Though the act protects some renters from “no fault” evictions, this year many Ojai residents that live at multifamily properties received the maximum allowable annual rent increase of 10%.
Is rent stabilization the same as rent control?
NO. Though the terms “rent stabilization” and “rent control” are often used interchangeably, they are not necessarily the same thing. Rent control that included “vacancy control” which limited how much rent could be charged even when a living space became vacant, was prohibited by California state law in 1996. Conversely, rent stabilization which allows “vacancy decontrol” permits landowners to raise the rent to whatever the market will bear when a living space becomes vacant.
How could an Ojai rent stabilization ordinance reduce the number of Ojai residents from being gentrified out of their homes?
The California Tenant Protection Act allows “no fault” evictions of tenants in good standing under certain circumstances, such as the landowner needing the space to house themselves or a family member, or if they would like to go out of the rental business permanently. Sadly, under current rules, “no fault” evictions such as these only require the landowner to pay the renter a relocation fee that is equal to one month of rent. This relatively small amount does little to assist renters who are losing their homes. A local rent stabilization ordinance for Ojai could require an equitable relocation fee that adequately assists long term renters that lose their homes.