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Mountain View reports implementation progress on one-time utility adjustment petitions; >20-unit properties submitted 100%
Summary
Staff briefed the committee on the multi-phase implementation of the one-time utility adjustment petition process required by CSFRA. Properties with more than 20 units achieved 100% submissions (9,027 units); smaller properties have lower submission rates. Staff outlined outreach, deadlines and an estimated completion timeframe of September 2026.
Staff provided an informational update on Aug. 28 on the City of Mountain View's one-time utility adjustment petition process under the Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act, summarizing implementation phases, outreach and current submission statistics.
The division described a six-phase implementation plan (research and stakeholder input; adopting regulations; building internal procedures; outreach and education; owner submittals; and staff processing). "We have completed the first 3, and the last 3 are all in progress," a Rent Stabilization Division staff member said.
Key numbers and deadlines: for properties with more than 20 units the division reported a 100% submission response for the first submittal period, representing 9,027 of 12,754 fully covered units. The next submittal deadlines include Sept. 30 for properties with 6'20 units and Dec. 31 for properties with 1'5 units. Staff said they have processed and notified tenants for 3,208 units (52 properties) in the >20 unit category; 6'20 unit properties show 28.5% of properties responding (745 units) and 1'5 unit properties show about 11% of expected submittals to date (122 units).
Staff described extensive outreach and customer-service steps: landlord workshops, targeted mailings and postcards, pre-addressed return envelopes, targeted emails, phone calls, web resources, FAQs and 15 forms and templates to streamline submissions. The division also runs weekly landlord help centers and tenant help centers on the first and third Thursdays of each month.
On processing and tenant review: staff said submitted petitions are reviewed for accuracy, anonymous tenant workbooks are produced when needed, and staff prefill notice forms to reduce the burden on landlords. Staff estimated the overall petition-process work could be finalized by September 2026.
Committee members asked about prioritization and owner types. Member Hislop asked for a breakdown of owners who filed in the >20-unit category to better understand ownership patterns; staff agreed to provide that information. Vice Chair Cox asked whether smaller properties tend to wait until deadlines; staff said filings are trickling in but that a high-touch outreach push was planned in the weeks before the Sept. 30 deadline. Member Keating and others asked whether tenants had disputed landlord submittals; staff said tenant disputes have been rare and cited two early resubmissions to correct miscategorized bill types or unit counts.
A member of the public, Philip Cosby, asked whether tenants in larger properties continue to receive RUBS (ratio-utility-billing system) charges during processing; staff confirmed RUBS charges continue until a petition is finalized and any required notice periods are completed.
Ending: staff confirmed continued updates to the committee and reiterated outreach plans to reach nonresponsive properties ahead of forthcoming deadlines.
