Oceanside rent control issue continues amid controversy

A lengthy and emotional meeting ends with the council rejecting the 5% rent increase cap and expanded rent stabilization, although other ordinances will return

Oceanside Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce, right, speaks about why rent increases should be capped at 5% and supports stricter tenant protections during Wednesday’s City Council meeting. The item stalled but will return to the council at a later date. Steve Puterski photo

OCEANSIDE — Confusion swirled during the end Wednesday’s City Council meeting regarding the controversial rent control proposal.

Ultimately, the council’s action was to direct staff to return with two ordinances, although several council members and other sources said they were unclear about the specific direction the council approved. Despite the uncertainty, the item will return to the council at a later date for further discussion.

Late Thursday, Oceanside City Clerk Zeb Navarro confirmed the council’s action was to direct staff to develop a tenant protection ordinance, but those will be amended from the original proposal.

The item was introduced by Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce and Councilman Jimmy Figueroa, and was significantly amended after they could not convince Mayor Esther Sanchez and Councilmen Peter Weiss and Rick Robinson to support several provisions. Major sticking points were a 5% rent increase cap and increasing rent stabilization (landlords covering relocation costs) from one month to two months or three months for seniors and the disabled. Those were defeated and will not be part of the new ordinances moving forward.

The council, though, will address no-fault evictions to be provided with one month’s rent for relocation (already state law), establish the length of tenancy before protections are triggered and rent stabilization for corporate-owned rentals.

Joyce appeared thrilled on a social media post, while Weiss said the motions were confusing and garbled but supported two of the motions, although he was adamantly against the 5% rent increase cap for small landlords and two to three months relocation fees. Weiss did say he would support a policy limiting rental increases for corporate landlords but exempting smaller ones, however, he wants a clear definition on corporate landlord.

Joyce said the ordinance returning to the council, likely in June, will cover all Oceanside renters under tenant protections.

“Tenant protections will be drafted for Oceanside residents,” Joyce posted on social media. “We cleared the first of three steps last night thanks to you all who called, emailed and spoke at council!”

What was clear was the council voted to approve a flyer of rights to be kept on file for mobile home park residents and voted down a preservation provision requiring affordable housing owners to notify up to three years before they sell their property. Weiss, Sanchez and Robinson voted against the mobile home item in fear it could open those residents up to negative impacts.

For nearly three-and-a-half hours, the council discussed and listened to more than 60 speakers battle over whether the city should approve an urgency ordinance to cap rent increases at 5%, force property owners to pay two to three months relocation fees for no-fault evictions and other proposals expanding on the state’s Tenant Protection Act (TPA) of 2019 (Assembly Bill 1482) and Senate Bill 567.

Since there was no majority support, Joyce withdrew the 5% cap and expanded rent stabilization (relocation fees for evicted tenants) provisions, among other concessions. Regarding corporate-owned complexes and capping rent increases, those would include any built before 1995.

“Let’s focus on the system,” Joyce said, noting the city has added inventory by reducing short-term rentals. “Fear shuts out voices. We’re being dismantled for wealth extraction. (Small) Landlords should be completely unaffected by any action tonight.”