A Future Here · Rent stabilization
Santa Barbara's rent ordinance, in plain language.
What the ordinance says, whether your home is covered, what changes and when, what it costs, and what could go wrong for renters. Every claim links to its source so you can check it yourself.
I rent in District 6. My home isn't covered by this ordinance. I'll still live with its effects the next time I look for a lease. I support enforceable tenant protections. I oppose permanent local rent caps. Tenant stability matters. Future renters matter too. Rent control is not a housing plan.
Updated September 30, 2026 · after the Sept. 29 Council vote
Need help with your housing now?
These are existing public and nonprofit resources, not campaign services. This page is not legal advice. If you have received a notice or court papers, act quickly: deadlines can be as short as a few days.
City rent stabilization questions
Hotline (805) 560-7559 · [email protected][5]
Disputes with a landlord
Free legal help
Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County · (805) 963-6754
Eviction papers or a notice
Rent help and services
Your rights under state law
California Attorney General tenant guide[11] · Borrador de la ordenanza en español[8]
Where things stand
Introduced on a 4 to 3 vote. Rent limits would start January 1, 2027.
On September 29, 2026, the City Council introduced the ordinance and approved $500,000 to start the program, each on a 4 to 3 vote.[1] Here is the full timeline, including what has already happened and what comes next.
- December 16, 2025The base-rent date. For existing tenancies, the rent in effect on this day is the starting point the ordinance measures from.[1]
- January 27, 2026A temporary rent-increase moratorium took effect for most rentals built before 1995. Single-family homes, condominiums and certain other rentals are excluded under state law.[5][6]
- September 22, 2026Council accepted the draft with amendments and added exemptions.[2][3][7]
- September 29, 2026Ordinance introduced, 4 to 3. The $500,000 startup budget from the Measure I housing and homelessness fund approved, 4 to 3.[1]
- Next: second vote, then 30 daysA second Council vote is needed for final adoption. Ordinances take effect 30 days after adoption; that window is when a referendum petition can be filed. If one qualifies, the ordinance is suspended until the Council repeals it or voters decide.[4]
- Later this fallSeparate amendments to the City's just-cause eviction and Ellis Act rules (Municipal Code Chapter 26.50) are scheduled to return to Council.[4]
- December 15, 2026 (target)Fee study returns to Council. This sets the registry fee landlords pay and can partly pass on to tenants.[4]
- December 31, 2026The moratorium expires.[5]
- January 1, 2027Rent limits begin for covered units.[1]
- April 1, 2027Registration deadline for covered units (or 30 days after the City posts the form, whichever is later).[1]
- October 1, 2027Registration deadline for all other rental units.[1]
- January 1, 2028Registry enforcement begins. A landlord without a complete registration cannot advertise, collect rent, raise rent, file a rent petition, or start an eviction for that unit.[1] Staff described the first year as a safe harbor before enforcement.[4]
Is my home covered?
Three questions decide whether the rent limit applies to you.
State law sets the outer limits on what any California city can cover, and the ordinance follows them.[10] This is a guide, not a legal determination. The City's hotline can confirm your unit's status.
Was your unit first approved for occupancy before February 1, 1995?
If the certificate of occupancy (or final building inspection) came on or after February 1, 1995, the local rent limit does not apply. State law may still limit increases; see question three.[1][10]
Is it a single-family home or a condo that can be sold on its own?
Those are generally not covered. There is one state-law exception: if the landlord ended the previous tenancy with a 30-day or 60-day notice, or changed its terms, the unit can be covered. Duplexes, triplexes, apartments and other units that cannot be sold separately are covered if they meet question one.[1][10]
Does your home fall into an exempt category?
- Hotels, motels, short-term rentals and similar stays of 30 days or fewer
- Hospitals, care facilities, nonprofit homes for the aged, and treatment or recovery programs
- Deed-restricted affordable homes owned or managed by a public agency or nonprofit
- Section 8 voucher units, while the contract rent is at or below the Housing Authority's payment standard
- Government-owned units that federal or state law exempts
- Mobilehome parks, which have their own local rules
If none of these apply and questions one and two point to coverage, your unit is likely covered.[1]
Not covered by the local limit? The state Tenant Protection Act can still cap increases at 5% plus inflation, with a 10% maximum, for many buildings more than 15 years old. Some single-family homes and condos are exempt from that law too if the owner gives the required notice.[9][11] If your unit is exempt from the local ordinance, your landlord must tell you in writing and name the reason.[1]
The registry is broader than the rent limit. Almost every rental in the city must be registered, covered or not. The only exception is a room in an owner's home where the owner and tenant share a kitchen or bathroom.[1]
What the ordinance says
The rules, one line at a time.
From the ordinance as introduced on September 29, 2026 (Municipal Code Chapters 26.90 and 26.100).[1] Section numbers let you check each line against the text.
| Rule | What it means | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Starting rent | For tenants who moved in on or before December 16, 2025, the rent that day is the base. For later move-ins, it is the rent at move-in. | 26.90.020 |
| Yearly increase | The lesser of 60% of inflation or 3%. Zero if prices fall. The City posts the number by October 1; it takes effect January 1. One increase per 12 months, with at least 30 days' written notice. Illustration only: if inflation were 3.0%, the limit would be 1.8%, or $45 a month on a $2,500 rent. | 26.90.030 (E), 26.90.040 |
| Use it or lose it | A landlord who skips a year's increase cannot carry it forward to a later year. | 26.90.040 (C) |
| Increases already taken in 2026 | A lawful increase taken after December 16, 2025 counts against future allowed increases until those catch up to it. | 26.90.030 (D) |
| When you move out | The landlord can set any rent for the next tenant, as state law requires. Limits then apply to the new rent. | 26.90.030 (C) |
| Repairs come first | No yearly increase or petition increase if the unit is not kept habitable or court- or City-ordered repairs are not done. | 26.90.040 (E), 26.90.050 (C) |
| Fair return petitions | Owners can ask a hearing officer for more than the yearly limit. The test presumes 2025 net operating income, adjusted by full inflation, is a fair return. If a decision takes more than 120 days through no fault of the owner, the owner can recover the increase for that time. | 26.90.050 |
| Building upgrades | For approved projects on a set list (roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, fire safety, accessibility and others), owners can add a separate monthly charge of up to 10% of rent or $100, whichever is less. It must be itemized and does not raise the base for future increases. | 26.90.060, 26.90.100 |
| Temporary moves for repairs | If work displaces you for under 30 days: $150 a day per household for lodging plus $30 a day per person for meals, adjusted for inflation. Or you can decline the payment and owe no rent until you return. | 26.90.100 (D) |
| Tenant petitions | You can ask for lower rent if the unit is not maintained, services are cut, or you were overcharged. Overcharges are repaid within 30 days or withheld from future rent. There is no tenant filing fee in the ordinance; landlord petitions can carry fees. | 26.90.070, 26.90.080 (D) |
| How petitions run | Accepted or rejected within 30 days, heard within 60 days of acceptance, decided within 30 days after the hearing. Either side can appeal to the Rent Stabilization Board, then to court. Staff estimated about 120 days for a first decision and about 120 more for an appeal.[4] | 26.90.080, 26.90.090 |
| Rent Stabilization Board | Seven residents appointed by Council. At least four must be tenants, including one age 65 or older. | 26.90.090 |
| Notices | Landlords must tell tenants the unit is covered, provide the ordinance and City materials, and give notices in English and Spanish (or another language the tenant understands). | 26.90.030 (G), 26.90.110 |
| Registry | Landlords report each unit's rent, last increase, move-in date, bedrooms and contacts, and update within 30 days of a new tenancy or ownership change. | 26.100.010 |
| Registry fee | Amount set later by Council. Landlords can pass up to half to tenants in 12 monthly installments, itemized. Any unpaid share is not charged when you move out. No pass-through to deed-restricted affordable units. | 26.100.020 |
| Enforcement | City Attorney civil or criminal action, private lawsuits for damages, and a defense for tenants in eviction cases when a landlord has not complied. | 26.90.120 |
What the ordinance does not include: an income limit, a requirement that the unit be the tenant's main home, or new eviction rules. Eviction protections come from state law and the City's separate just-cause ordinance, which is being amended on its own track.[1][4]
What it means for you
Find your situation.
You are moving or looking for a place
You rent a house, a condo, or a newer building
You live in deed-restricted housing or use a voucher
Your building needs major work
Your rent went up this year
The tradeoffs
What it is designed to do, and what could go wrong for renters.
The benefit is real. Covered tenants get predictable increases, repairs tied to any increase, and a way to challenge overcharges.[1] In San Francisco, rent control made covered tenants about 20% less likely to move and reduced displacement from the city.[13] The same research, and other cities' experience, point to costs that fall on renters too. Each item below is labeled so you can tell what is written into the ordinance from what has happened elsewhere or could happen here.
In the ordinanceWritten into the text
City estimateStated by City staff
Seen elsewhereDocumented in other U.S. cities
Could happenA risk here, not a certainty
Fewer homes to rent
Owners can sell, convert or redevelop instead of renting. In San Francisco, landlords covered by rent control cut their rental housing by 15%, mostly by selling to owner-occupants and redeveloping.[13]
Higher rent when you move
There is no cap when a home changes tenants.[1] The San Francisco study found the lost rental supply likely pushed up market rents over the long run, which is what renters pay when they look for a new place.[13]
More pressure to leave the rental market
When rent resets only at turnover, a long-term tenant can become a cost to the owner. In San Francisco, small landlords were more likely to apply for condo conversion as condo prices rose, and some withdrew units from rental use. The same study found no sign that landlords used evictions to reset rents.[14]
Help may miss those who need it most
The ordinance has no income test and no main-home requirement.[1] In New York, an analysis of the city's 2023 housing survey found about 86,700 rent-stabilized households, roughly 1 in 10, reported incomes over $200,000.[18]
Add-on charges that can grow
Tenants can be billed up to half the registry fee, plus up to $100 a month for approved building projects.[1] The fee is not set yet. Staff said an earlier estimate of $154 per unit is out of date and will rise.[4] In Berkeley, the fee went from $250 in 2021 to $397 in 2026.[20][19]
A rent increase every year
An unused yearly increase cannot be saved for later.[1] That gives owners a reason to take it every year, including years they might otherwise have skipped.
Older buildings can wear down
A review of the research finds that when rents are restricted, landlords may pull back on maintenance. The effect is weaker where the law allows regular increases.[15] Santa Barbara's version blocks increases on units that are not kept habitable, which is a real safeguard.[1]
New homes delayed
New buildings are exempt under state law,[10] but builders and lenders price in the risk that rules will change. After St. Paul's rent cap passed, the city built about 80% fewer homes in 2024 than its prior three-year average, and developers pointed to the ordinance.[22]
Housing money spent on administration
The $500,000 startup comes from the Measure I housing and homelessness fund. After other commitments, staff said about $100,000 would remain in that flexible fund. At full scale the program needs 7 to 9 staff and $2 to $2.4 million a year, and fees are expected to cover most but not all of it.[1][4]
Protections that keep changing
Santa Barbara's rules changed at nearly every hearing, including exemptions, board size and registry details.[1][3] St. Paul had to rewrite its rent cap twice, in 2022 and again in 2025, to bring builders back.[23][22][21] Each rewrite changes what renters can count on.
How to read this research fairly
Every city's law is different. San Francisco's 1994 expansion covered small buildings and had no yearly cap tied to 60% of inflation; St. Paul's first version had no exemption for new construction. Those differences matter, and results elsewhere are evidence of risk, not a forecast for Santa Barbara.[13][21] For a broad, neutral overview of the research, see the Urban Institute's review.[16]
What it costs the City
Every public promise has a fiscal shadow.
The startup money is approved. The ongoing cost depends on the fee study and on how many landlords register and pay.[1][4]
Source: Measure I Flexible Housing and Homelessness Fund.[1]
Program implementation and staffing (registry software, new hires)$429,500 · 86%
Consultant support after adoption (RSG, Inc.)$45,500 · 9%
Fee study (NSB)$25,000 · 5%
Staff at full scale
7 to 9Full-time positions, added as demand shows up in the annual budget.[4]
Yearly program cost
$2.0M to $2.4MBased on the ordinance as introduced and comparable California programs.[4]
Left in the Measure I flexible fund
About $100,000After this allocation and other commitments from the fund, including $400,000 for moratorium-related litigation.[4]
Expected compliance
About 80%Staff's best-case expectation for registration, based on other California programs. Lower compliance means less fee revenue.[4]
Possible General Fund gap
About $500,000 a yearDiscussed at the September 22 hearing for a $2.4 million program at 80% compliance. Staff said no California program has reached full cost recovery.[4]
If a referendum goes to the ballot
$300,000 to $500,000Staff's estimate for a special election, likely March 2027, paid from the General Fund. Implementation would wait for the result.[4]
Why this matters to renters: the General Fund also pays for public safety, parks, libraries and street repair. Measure I money spent on administration is money not spent on housing and homelessness programs. I would ask for a public fiscal note before any fee or funding vote, so everyone can see the full cost before it is decided.
My position and plan
Protect stability today. Expand opportunity over time.
I rent in District 6, so this is not abstract. Rent caps can protect covered tenants from large increases and help them stay in their homes. I take that benefit seriously. My concern is the longer-term effect on rental availability, investment in existing homes, and the people still searching for housing.
I favor targeted assistance, tenant-rights enforcement, and more housing choices. These measures address different problems, and each needs a workable budget and public accountability.
I have experienced financial strain in my own business and struggled to find rental help that fit my circumstances. That experience informs my support for assistance that can respond to a recent income shock, including irregular or self-employed income, within the funding rules.
The Current-and-Future Renter Test
Any tenant policy, including this ordinance, should answer six questions in public before and after it takes effect.
- Displacement. Does it keep current tenants housed?
- Maintenance. Are older buildings kept safe and in good repair?
- Future supply. Are there more rentals for the next renter, or fewer?
- Small providers. Can small owners comply without leaving the rental business?
- Administration cost. What does it cost, who pays, and what does it displace?
- Correction. How will we know if it is not working, and what happens then?
01 · Protect
Make tenant protections usable.
Connect residents to accurate information, mediation, and legal help. Route suspected violations to the right enforcement process. If the ordinance takes effect, push for a simple, time-limited fair-return process, plain-language compliance help with cure periods for small owners, and a registry that costs as little as it can.
02 · Prevent
Fund help before a housing crisis escalates.
Propose a limited, 12-month displacement-prevention pilot delivered through a qualified existing provider. Use short-term help where it can restore stability, and connect households with continuing needs to longer-term options.
03 · Build
Increase year-round housing choices.
Make suitable projects easier to deliver, help bring underused homes into year-round residential use, and publish progress through completion.
The proposed 12-month displacement-prevention pilot: budget and limits
Proposal, not an available benefit. The illustrative budget is $300,000: a City contribution of up to $100,000, only through an identified, lawful budget reprioritization approved by Council, and $200,000 in committed outside funding from philanthropy, the County, or eligible grants. None is assumed to be available, and no reserves or unrealized savings would be used.
Planning allocations; final costs depend on provider quotes and program design.
Direct housing assistance$180,000 · 60%
Intake, casework, and provider administration$75,000 · 25%
Legal screening and selected representation$30,000 · 10%
City oversight, data, and follow-up$15,000 · 5%
About 45 households receiving direct assistance if the average award is $4,000. Average awards of $3,000 to $5,000 would support roughly 36 to 60 households from the $180,000 assistance allocation.
This is capacity arithmetic, not a prediction of evictions or homelessness prevented. The casework allocation equals roughly half a staff year at an assumed $150,000 fully loaded cost. If funding falls short, the pilot returns as a smaller costed proposal or waits.
- A temporary income shock: limited arrears help, a short rental bridge, or eligible deposit and utility help, with a realistic plan for stability afterward.
- A possible violation of tenant rights: legal screening and referral, with selected representation where funded. Mediation should not replace urgent legal action.
- An ongoing affordability gap: longer-term subsidy options and other sustainable housing choices. A one-time payment may not be enough.
Evidence behind the approach: a randomized study in Santa Clara County found temporary financial assistance reduced homelessness among eligible households. It supports testing prevention locally; it does not say how many Santa Barbara households a fund would keep housed.[17]
How we would know it is working
If the ordinance takes effect, I would ask the Council to publish these numbers every year, in one public report, with privacy protected. Public accountability is stronger when the measurement can embarrass the officeholder.
For current renters
Tenancies that last, rent petitions filed and decided, days to decision, overcharges repaid, and habitability complaints resolved.
For future renters
Rental listings and vacancy, asking rents on turnover, units withdrawn or converted, and new rental permits and completions.
For the budget
Total cost, fee revenue, registration compliance, General Fund and Measure I subsidy, and cost per registered unit.
For the prevention pilot
Requests, approvals and denials, wait times, and follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 months. A payment is an activity; sustained housing is the outcome.
Questions
Questions renters ask most.
Does rent control apply to me right now?
If you rent a covered pre-1995 unit, the temporary moratorium on increases runs through December 31, 2026.[5] If the ordinance is adopted and not suspended by a referendum, its rent limits begin January 1, 2027.[1][4] Call the City hotline at (805) 560-7559 to confirm your unit.
Does the ordinance stop evictions?
No. It limits rent increases. Eviction rules come from the state Tenant Protection Act and the City's just-cause ordinance, which is being amended separately this fall. The ordinance does add one link: starting in 2028, a landlord who has not registered cannot begin a no-fault eviction.[1][4][11]
Is there an income limit?
No. Any tenant in a covered unit is covered, regardless of income or whether the unit is their main home.[1]
What happens to my rent if I move?
Your next landlord can set the starting rent on a new tenancy. The yearly limit applies after that.[1]
How much will the registry fee be, and how much can be passed to me?
The amount is not set. The fee study is targeted for December 15, 2026, and staff said the earlier $154-per-unit estimate is out of date and will rise.[4] A landlord can pass up to half of it to you, spread over 12 months and itemized. Any unpaid share is not charged when you move out.[1]
How long does a rent petition take?
City staff estimated about 120 days from filing to a first decision, and about 120 more if either side appeals to the Rent Stabilization Board. After that, a party can go to court.[4]
What happens if a referendum qualifies?
The ordinance would be suspended. The Council could repeal it or put it to voters. Staff said a special election would likely be in March 2027 and cost $300,000 to $500,000.[4]
Is rental assistance already available in Santa Barbara?
Yes, with limits. The City describes tenant-based rental assistance delivered with New Beginnings, Transition House, and the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara. Eligibility and availability vary. My pilot proposal starts by identifying gaps in that system; it does not assume those organizations have agreed to run a new program. Read the City's program description.
Would self-employed residents be eligible for the pilot?
I would seek an application process that can assess recent hardship and variable income, rather than relying only on a single older income snapshot. Eligibility would still depend on financial need, housing risk, and the rules attached to each funding source.
Does this page change the rules that apply to my rental?
No. This page explains public documents and my positions. It is not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact the City's rent stabilization hotline, the Mediation Program, or Legal Aid, all listed at the top of this page.
Sources
Check our work.
Primary documents first. When the evidence changes, this page will be updated and the date at the top will change.
Santa Barbara public records
- City Council, September 29, 2026, Item 2: agenda report, ordinance as introduced (Municipal Code Chapters 26.90 and 26.100), and budget resolution; meeting record for the 4 to 3 votes.
- Draft ordinance, September 22, 2026 (PDF).
- Council agenda report, September 22, 2026 (PDF).
- City Council meeting, September 22, 2026: staff presentation on costs and staffing (recording at about 1:22 to 1:25), petition timelines (about 2:56), compliance and General Fund discussion (about 3:07), referendum and special election costs (about 3:13 and 3:27).
- City of Santa Barbara, Rent Stabilization: moratorium dates and scope, hotline, email.
- City of Santa Barbara, Rental Ordinances and moratorium FAQs.
- Additional exemptions, September 22, 2026 (PDF).
- Borrador de la ordenanza en español, 22 de septiembre de 2026 (PDF).
California law and official guides
- California Civil Code § 1947.12: Tenant Protection Act rent cap.
- California Civil Code § 1954.52: Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act limits on local rent control.
- California Attorney General, tenant rights and resources.
- California Courts, the eviction process for tenants.
Research
- Diamond, McQuade and Qian, "The Effects of Rent Control Expansion on Tenants, Landlords, and Inequality: Evidence from San Francisco," American Economic Review 109(9), 2019.
- Asquith, "Housing Supply Dynamics under Rent Control: What Can Evictions Tell Us?" AEA Papers and Proceedings 109, 2019.
- D.C. Policy Center, "What we know about rent control and its impacts on rental housing," 2025: literature review, including maintenance and quality.
- Urban Institute, "Rent Control: What Does the Research Tell Us about the Effectiveness of Local Action?" (PDF).
- Phillips and Sullivan, homelessness-prevention study, Santa Clara County (working paper, April 2023).
Other cities
- CRE Daily, "Wealthy Renters Occupy 10% of NYC Stabilized Apartments": reporting on Citizens Budget Commission and Wall Street Journal analyses of the 2023 NYC Housing and Vacancy Survey.
- Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board, registration fees for FY 2026-27: $397 per fully covered unit.
- Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board, 2021 registration letter: $250 per fully covered unit for 2021-22 (PDF).
- City of St. Paul, Rent Stabilization: ordinance history and current exemptions.
- Minnesota Reformer, "St. Paul walks back rent control," May 8, 2025.
- Minnesota Reformer, "St. Paul City Council passes sweeping overhaul of rent control ordinance," September 21, 2022.
Page updated September 30, 2026. City cost and staffing figures are staff estimates stated at public meetings, not final budgets. The pilot budget, funding split, staffing allowance and assistance range are my proposed planning assumptions, not City appropriations, committed grants, or provider bids.
A future with room to stay.
Tenant stability matters. Future renters matter too. Rent control is not a housing plan.
My commitment is to pair immediate housing stability with more homes and more opportunities to build a life here, and to make the costs and results visible.