Petition to amend rent control and eviction protections in Pasadena's City Charter.

Notice of Intent to Circulate PetitionNotice is hereby given by the persons whose names appear hereon of their intention to circulate the petition within the City of Pasadena for the purpose of qualifying the proposed initiative measure. A statement of the reasons of the proposed action as contemplated in the petition is as follows:On November 8, 2022, the voters of the City of Pasadena voted to adopt Measure H, Charter Article XVIII, which amended the City’s Charter to impose rent control and just cause eviction protections. The Pasadena City Council adopted a resolution certifying the results of the November 8, 2022, election on December 12, 2022, and the Charter was thereafter filed with the California Secretary of State and took effect on December 22, 2022.Since that time, Measure H has proven expensive and ineffective in providing fair and reasonable regulation. This initiative will promote effective housing policy for tenants, property owners and all other residents of the City of Pasadena by amending Article XVIII of the City Charter, repealing the existing provisions Article XVIII, and repealing Chapter 2.302 of the Pasadena Municipal Code.This initiative will: * retain existing controls on rent increases on all current tenancies, and on new ones except on single family homes and Accessory Dwelling Units;
 * continue to protect tenants from unfair eviction from the beginning of their tenancy;
 * ensure fair and effective policy making by requiring an equal number of tenants and landlords on the Rental Housing Board;
 * provide clear and fair mechanisms for dispute resolution and petitions to change rent levels;
 * protect existing tenants in single-family homes, condos and ADUs, while promoting the rental of empty single-family units by exempting from rent control, and relocation payments beyond moving expense allowance, on new tenancies: single-family homes; one Accessory Dwelling Unit or Junior ADU on the same parcel as an owner-occupied single-family home; or a single-family home on the same parcel as an owner-occupied Accessory Dwelling Unit or Junior ADU.
 * reduce bureaucracy, promote accountability, and cut wasteful spending by placing the current activities of the Rent Stabilization into a unified Housing Department;
 * restrain costs by limiting rental unit fees on landlords;
 * provide voters with an opportunity to review this initiative in twelve years./s/ Alan L. BairAlan L. Bair
The city attorney has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure:Title:Pasadena Fair Housing Charter Amendment – Repeal and Replace Rent Stabilization and Eviction Protections in Pasadena City Charter, and Repeal Ordinance 7417.Summary:If approved by a majority of Pasadena voters, the proposed Measure would amend the Pasadena City Charter by repealing Article XVIII (Sections 1801 – 1824), replacing it with new Sections 1825 – 1840, and repealing Ordinance 7417 that created the Rent Stabilization Department.Existing Article XVIII establishes an independent Rental Housing Board of eleven members: seven tenants, four at-large (tenant or landlord), and two alternates. The proposed Measure would replace this structure with a renamed Pasadena Residential Rent Board (RRB) composed of an equal number of tenants and landlords, plus one at-large member (neither tenant nor landlord) nominated by the Mayor. Landlord members would not be required to reside in Pasadena, though tenant members would be. The RRB would conduct its activities with the support of the Pasadena Housing Department, and would be subject to annual audits conducted by the City Council. The City Council would establish compensation and other regulations regarding RRB membership.The proposed Measure would maintain limits on rent increases for certain Covered Rental Units to an Annual General Adjustment (AGA) tied to 75% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Los Angeles region, with no increases in deflationary years. The deadline for announcing the AGA would be 60 days after the CPI report, with rent adjustments effective October 1 each year.Existing Article XVIII uses a fair return standard based on maintenance of net operating income measured against a 2021 base year. The proposed Measure modifies this framework by adding provisions for pass-through of capital expenditures and proportionate pass-throughs. Landlords would be able to petition for upward rent adjustments if current rents do not provide a fair return, and tenants may petition for downward adjustments for specified conditions. Disputes would be subject to mediation and hearing officer review, with the RRB handling appeals.The proposed Measure sets forth just-cause eviction protections for all Covered Rental Units. Existing Article XVIII enumerates detailed grounds for eviction, along with extensive procedural requirements including filing termination notices with the Rental Board. The proposed Measure removes specifically enumerated grounds for at-fault and no-fault evictions, streamlines the just-cause framework, and authorizes RRB to adopt regulations.The proposed Measure requires relocation assistance using the existing calculation method, with a cap of three months’ fair market rent (unless special circumstances housing) plus moving expense allowance. It also requires the City to issue implementing regulations.The proposed Measure caps annual landlord fees at $118 per rental unit, adjustable annually by no more than the AGA, replacing the current structure where the Rental Board sets the fees without a cap. Exemptions for covered rental units are substantially preserved from existing Article XVIII, with new exemptions for specified units.Other changes include removing certain existing protections, such as tenant protections beyond those that will still be provided in the California Civil Code, including anti-harassment, anti-retaliation, and security deposit interest. The proposed Measure would not require creation of a rental registry, and establishes a January 1, 2039 sunset date, after which Article XVIII would become inoperative unless extended by voters./s/ Michele Beal BagnerisMichele Beal BagnerisCity Attorney/City ProsecutorPasadena Star-NewsPublished: 3/30/26