Southern California City To Draft Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Ordinance

The Southern California city of Torrance will consider rent stabilization for mobile home parks, reports Kristy Hutchings. The decision comes “after months-long calls to do so from residents of a seniors-only complex that’s faced more than 15% increases in rent for lots within six months.”

The city directed staffers to draft an ordinance “that will largely mirror state Assembly Bill 1482, which imposes percentage caps on annual rent increases for residential properties.” The ordinance would “also help stabilize mobile home parks to avoid turnover and prevent tenants from being displaced because of rent spikes, according to city officials.”

“The city’s SRSO will have to cover when the proposed ordinance would go into effect, how much annual space rents can increase, fair return rent increases, exemptions and waivers, timing of rent increases, the appeal process, and enforcement.” The ordinance would also require the creation of a commission to review applications and “provide the landlord due process to apply for variances or exceptions, ensure that the stabilized rent rates still provide mobile home park owners a reasonable rate of return on their documented investments into the park, and create a process for mobile home tenants to seek relief/remedy under the ordinance.”

Residents of mobile home parks around the country, many of whom are low-income seniors, are facing rising rents and threats of eviction as more investors eye the properties as profitable acquisitions.