Burbank council introduces anti-harassment tenant ordinance, directs staff to study rent registry and relocation aid

The Burbank City Council on Feb. 11 introduced an ordinance adding a tenant anti‑harassment bill of rights and agreed to narrow a proposed small‑landlord exemption so it applies only when an owner or the owner’s immediate relative moves into a unit, council members said.

City housing staff described a new housing enforcement unit and a set of services the city plans to make available, including a pilot mediation program and city‑funded grants for low‑income tenants to obtain legal representation. Staff said they will return with cost estimates and program parameters during the spring budget process.

The action was the first reading/introduction of the ordinance. The council approved introduction with amendments in a 3‑1 vote (Councilmember Rosati recused); the vote followed several hours of public comment and staff presentations. Under the amended language, the locally increased relocation assistance the council adopted last year (three months’ current rent for most no‑fault evictions) will not be reduced for most situations; the narrow exception now applies only to evictions in which an owner or an owner’s relative will occupy the unit.

Why it matters: tenants’ groups, some renters and housing advocates urged broader protections and a rent registry to track rent increases, evictions and ownership; landlord groups urged protections for smaller “mom‑and‑pop” owners and warned of unintended consequences. Council directed staff to return with detailed cost estimates and implementation options so members can weigh tradeoffs in the budget process.

What staff presented: Maribel Leland, the city’s housing authority manager, briefed the council on the housing enforcement unit and related programs funded last year. Since unit staffing began, housing staff said they have opened 15 formal cases and the City Attorney’s Office issued eight notices of violation tied to no‑fault evictions; staff also identified roughly 1,700 parcels with two‑to‑four rental units that might fall under a small‑owner exemption as drafted.

Leland said a tenant mediation pilot — billed as a half‑day, free service for qualifying tenants and landlords — is expected to be available by July 1, with applications for mediators released in January. A separate city‑funded grant program to help qualifying low‑income tenants obtain legal counsel is expected to be in place at the same time. Leland also introduced the concept of a housing market inventory (commonly called a rent registry), and said staff is researching vendor options and estimated costs to present during the May budget hearings.

Tenants and housing advocates urged the council to reject a broad policy carve‑out for small owners and to make the rent registry comprehensive. “A rental registry will allow for transparency in ownership and keep track of pricing trends and habitability violations,” said a representative of a tenants’ group during public comment. Several speakers asked that any tenant protections apply to all renters in Burbank, including those not currently covered by the state law (AB 1482). Landlord and real‑estate trade groups said the anti‑harassment language overlaps with existing laws and warned of litigation risk.

Council action and next steps: The council introduced the ordinance with the amendment narrowing the exemption to owner/relative move‑ins and also directed staff to: - return in the budget process with costs and options for a rent registry (or multifamily inventory) and an expanded, city‑funded relocation program for qualifying households; and - bring back parameters for the mediation and low‑income legal grant programs, expected to be available by July 1.

Quotable: “The council is not being asked to make any decisions this evening,” Maribel Leland told the panel as she introduced the update. Tenant advocate Christina Boyer told the council she supported the anti‑harassment language and urged members to “reject the small‑landlord carve‑out.”

Ending: Staff will return with specific program costs and proposed eligibility criteria during the spring budget process; council members said they expect further public outreach before adopting any new fees or ongoing programs.

Votes at a glance: - Consent calendar (items 1–7, including several resolutions and contract authorizations): approved 5‑0 (vote occurred earlier in the meeting). See provenance below. - Introduction: Ordinance amending residential tenant protections to add anti‑harassment provisions and to exempt certain small owners only in the instance of owner/relative move‑ins: introduced 3‑1 (Councilmember Rosati recused). See provenance below.