What passed @ the recent City of San Diego Tenant Protection ordinance meeting

[Kenny Simpson]

This is scheduled to go before the City Council for a second reading on May 16 and then the Mayor will sign it into law. We estimate it becomes effective around June 16.

Highlights (all page number references relate to the clean version of the ordinance):

• Short-term leases of 3 months or less are exempt from the ordinance – see top of Page 7 under definition of “Tenant.”
• New definition for “substantial remodel” beyond AB 1482 definition – see Page 15.
• Eviction registry – see bottom of Page 17 for just-cause evictions and bottom of Page 19 for no-fault evictions. Note the language explicitly states this section, “shall not apply until 30 days after the Commission (San Diego Housing Commission) establishes a submission portal and provides the public notice of its creation.” I anticipate it will be well into 2024 before this applies.
• For no-fault evictions, landlord must pay 2 months rent relocation and tenant is eligible for a third month if tenant is a senior or disabled – see top of Page 20.

Next steps

• Second reading of ordinance on May 16.
• Law becomes effective on approximately June 16.
• City of San Diego – with industry input – will create administrative guidelines for how ordinance is implemented and enforced. This will take place throughout June and July.

Speak up

This new law will pass and most likely will NOT be in end of changes to the “Tenant Protection laws”. It was great that so many owners talked about how rent control has already impacted how they run and operate their investment properties. It was also good to see that so many landlords are helping and doing their part to help tenants. These new laws are making it harder for owner to run and operate their buildings and it ultimately hurts that tenants in the end.

If you did NOT make the meeting please reach out to the city officials and let them know how this has and how it will continue to IMPACT your business. We need a bigger voice, city officials need to hear from us and we need to educated and share the real stores of what is going on today in San Diego being a landlord.

Contact city officials