Rental Commission Considers Regulatory Changes – Pasadena Now

At its meeting Wednesday, the Rental Housing Commission will consider the first draft of proposed amendments to the Pasadena Rental Housing Commission’s bylaws.

The proposed amendments involve the appointment of alternate members to ad hoc committees, the limitation of the terms of office of ad hoc committees and the conversion of any ad hoc committee into a standing committee.

Staff asked Council for comments on potential changes on June 12.

Standing committees would be subject to the Brown Act.

The Brown Act establishes rules and regulations for transparency in legislative meetings.

“Creating standing committees would have a budgetary impact as meetings of these committees would require additional human resources to prepare agendas and minutes, as well as additional costs related to making meetings available on video platforms,” according to a staff report included in Wednesday’s agenda.

The Rental Commission was created under Measure H, a ballot initiative passed in 2022.

Under Measure H, rents were reduced to May 2021 levels. The rent control initiative also limits rent increases and provides safeguards against unfair evictions.

Last month, the City Council agreed to direct city staff to prepare several resolutions to amend the Rent Control Act, including removing outdated implementation deadlines for the rent registry and annual landlord registration, aligning relocation assistance rules with state law, adjusting the timing of setting annual interest rates on security deposits, partially exempting units occupied by tenants receiving government rental subsidies from rent increase limitations, allowing the council to initiate the removal of a member for conduct violations, subject to City Council approval, and making technical corrections to align with court decisions and state law.

The Pasadena Rental Housing Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 10 at 6:00 p.m. The meeting location is the Robinson Park Recreation Center, Multi-Purpose Room, at 1081 N Fair Oaks Avenue in Pasadena.

It can also be viewed virtually, at the following address: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89816590299.