Salinas council directs staff to draft repeal of rent-stabilization ordinances, orders rental-assistance plan and monthly housing report

The Salinas City Council voted on April 22, 2025, to direct staff to prepare draft ordinances to repeal the city's rent stabilization package and to return with a rental-assistance program and a standing monthly housing report.

The vote followed a prolonged staff presentation and hours of public comment from renters, landlords, community groups and health professionals. City staff told the council the residential registration and rent stabilization program launched Jan. 1 and has registered more than 11,000 units and collected about $1.4 million in fees so far, while start-up expenditures to April 14 totaled $232,479 and an interim general-fund loan of $205,203 was used for initial cashflow.

The program the council adopted in 2023 and 2024 combined four local ordinances: (1) a rental registration ordinance, (2) a rent stabilization ordinance (limits on amount and frequency of rent increases), (3) a just-cause eviction and tenant protection ordinance and (4) a tenant anti-harassment ordinance. Staff and the consultant told the council those rules were intended to protect tenants and to create a process for landlord…