California’s state rent control law is exceptionally weak, capping annual rent increases at 10%, far more than most San Anselmo renters can afford. (At this rate, a $3,000 rent would increase to nearly $4,000 in just three years.) San Anselmo’s local law caps rent increases at 60% of inflation (or 5%, whichever is lower), making it sustainable for renters and fair for landlords. Yes on O and N will preserve this!

San Anselmo rent control, Yes on O and N, has no impact on homeowners. Single-family homes are completely exempt from the rent stabilization ordinance and there are no new taxes associated with the new laws. They are paid for by a modest per-unit fee charged only to landlords, not homeowners. There is no evidence that rent control negatively impacts property values. 

All landlords are guaranteed a fair rate of return under San Anselmo’s rent control law. Any landlord who believes rent control is interfering with their ability to make a profit may petition the town to raise rents above the cap. Though according to their own public testimony, most small landlords already report issuing very modest rent increases, meaning they should not be affected by San Anselmo’s rent control law.

San Anselmo rent control caps annual rent increases at 60% of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to ensure annual rent increases are sustainable for renters and fair for landlords. CPI is a general measurement of average prices across the economy. Historically, the cost of housing has risen far faster than most other prices. Housing is also the single largest category that determines the overall CPI average. Setting the rental cap at 60% (rather than 100%) of CPI takes into account the disproportionate role that housing costs have played in driving up inflation and determining CPI.

There is no evidence that rent control reduces new housing construction. San Anselmo rent control does not apply to newly constructed units (or any units built after 1995), meaning it avoids any potential disincentive for new building. The number of units withdrawn from the market by landlords wishing to avoid regulation is minimal. Any negative impact of those few withdrawn units is far outweighed by the community benefit of preventing displacement and providing housing security for thousands of San Anselmo residents.

Rent control caps annual rent increases for all tenants that it covers, lowering rents over time. There is no evidence that the marginal number of units withdrawn from the rental market by landlords wishing to avoid regulation results in higher rents. Insofar as limited supply drives higher housing costs, rent control plays a negligible role. To solve that problem, we need serious investments in affordable housing.

San Anselmo’s just cause eviction law prevents arbitrary evictions by defining a list of good reasons (just causes) that a tenant can get evicted. These include both “at-fault” evictions, where the tenant has done something to justify their displacement and “no-fault” evictions, where the tenant has done nothing to justify their displacement. San Anselmo’s law ensures that tenants who have followed the rules and are subjected to a no-fault eviction receive a modest relocation payment and are able to return to their unit if it goes back on the market. It also provides additional protections for tenants who are elderly, disabled, or terminally ill, and for students and teachers during the school year.

Landlords may still evict tenants who break the rules. If a tenant fails to pay rent, breaches the lease, creates a nuisance, performs illegal activities, threatens a violent crime, damages the property, or fails to give access to the landlord, they may be subject to an at-fault eviction. Tenants subjected to at-fault evictions are not entitled to relocation payments or any other protections under the just cause evictions law.

Landlords may evict their current tenant in order to move into the unit themselves or have a family member or caregiver move in. As a no-fault eviction, where the tenant has done nothing wrong to warrant displacement, the landlord is required to pay the tenant 2-3 months rent as a relocation payment. This is to ensure that the tenant family is able to find and afford a new place to live in the community.

The San Anselmo Town Council passed a rent stabilization ordinance in early 2024 after almost a year of overwhelming public feedback urging them to stabilize rents and protect tenants from unfair evictions. They decided to place tenant protections directly on the ballot. San Anselmo (like all of Marin) has some of the highest rents in the entire country. Half of San Anselmo renters are rent-burdened (spending more than 30% of their income on rent) and more than a quarter are severely rent-burdened (spending more than 50% of their income on rent). Rent control and tenant protections allow San Anselmo families, workers, and seniors to put down roots and be a part of the community.

San Anselmo rent control limits annual rent increases for tenants living in multi-unit apartment buildings with three or more units, as long as they were built before 1995. All single-family homes, condominiums, duplexes, ADUs, JADUs, and rental units built after 1995 are exempt.

San Anselmo’s just cause evictions measure protects tenants living in multi-unit apartment buildings with three or more units.  All single-family homes, condominiums, duplexes, ADUs, and JADUs are exempt.