The San Diego City Council passed an ordinance 8–1 further protecting renter’s rights April 25, despite hours of public comment from landlords in opposition.
Councilwoman Jennifer Campbell was the one dissenter.
Now, tenants must be given 30 to 60 days’ notice before an eviction if the termination of their lease is by no cause of their own. Landlords in such cases must also now provide the tenant payment of two months’ rent to help their relocation.
Such “no-fault evictions” include when a landlord terminates a tenant’s lease for extensive remodeling or if they want to remove the property from the rental market or for the landlord’s personal use.
Mobile home renters or those in short-term rentals lasting fewer than three months are excluded.
Under the ordinance, former tenants that were subject to a no-fault eviction will also have the first right of refusal if the rental unit is put back on the market within five years after their eviction.
“What we are putting forward—which is not rent control and does not protect folks that are not paying their bills or abiding by the terms of their lease—is a way of providing a little more security in an environment where far too many people are living in fear as they watch neighbors and family members be displaced at no fault of their own,” said Council President Sean Elo-Rivera during the meeting.
Many tenants and landlords voiced their opinions on the issue during public comment.
Landlords were especially outspoken, saying the city is providing protection for renters without equal protection for property owners, especially coming on the heels of the pandemic when many of them had to waive rent.
“I have always [had] individuals on Supplemental Security Income, and I as a landlord pay for all of their utilities because they cannot afford it,” said landlord Sabrina Bishop. “I’m struggling as a landlord. We have to do something to help us all.”
Councilmember Kent Lee agreed that the landlord-tenant relationship should be a two-way street.
“I think it goes without question that both can benefit from a better understanding of each other’s challenges and whether they may or may not overlap,” he said.
But, he said, tenants who are evicted through no fault of their own deserve assistance.
“We should all be able to empathize with how a no-fault eviction has a tremendous detrimental impact on residents who are barely making ends meet and are ultimately surprised with an eviction,” he said.
The city will also establish an online portal—at a cost of about $200,000—to collect information from landlords about all evictions so the city can respond to displaced renters who may be facing homelessness.
The council’s action now codifies for the city a state law passed in 2019 limiting rent increases and requiring fair eviction terms.
The city council will have a final vote on the ordinance May 16. According to city rules, most ordinances have an introductory hearing followed by a second, generally two weeks later.
