San Rafael staff, council discuss county rental registry, stronger just‑cause rules and standardizing relocation payments

San Rafael city leaders and staff discussed possible expansions to tenant protections — including a county‑led rental registry, strengthened "just cause" eviction rules and a single citywide relocation assistance policy — during a council meeting and public comment period.

City staff explained that San Rafael's just‑cause eviction ordinance, adopted in 2019, applies to properties with three or more units and requires landlords to state the cause for an eviction in notices but does not require landlords to submit that information to the city. The staff presentation noted the city ordinance produces little centralized data on evictions because informal terminations and pre‑court vacancies frequently go unrecorded.

The lack of early‑stage data led staff to recommend exploring a county rental registry to collect notices of termination, rent increase levels and other unit‑level information. Staff said a registry could be started as a phased pilot among three to four jurisdictions. A vendor identified during discussions, Ptolemy, was described as experienced and user‑friendly; county funding was said to be available for an initial year of a pilot.

Staff outlined how state law limiting annual rent increases to 5 percent plus the consumer price index — or 10 percent, whichever is lower — remains in effect through Jan. 1, 2030, and noted that any changes at the state level could affect the local ordinance's effectiveness. Staff also described differences in notice periods under the city's ordinance: withdrawal from the rental market (often referred to as an Ellis Act eviction) carries a 120‑day notice requirement, substantial rehabilitation 60 days, and shorter periods for cause evictions such as nonpayment.

Relocation assistance and geographic disparity

Staff identified a major disparity in relocation assistance levels tied to geography: a citywide policy applies only in some instances (for low‑income tenants facing substantial rehabilitation), while a Canal Opportunity Zone policy — created by an urgency ordinance — requires broader relocation payments through 2026. Staff provided sample payment scenarios showing that a tenant in the Canal Opportunity Zone facing a no‑fault eviction could receive about $15,000 in permanent relocation assistance in some cases, compared with roughly $7,200 for a similar substantial‑rehab case outside the Opportunity Zone and about $3,600 for other no‑fault evictions. Staff reported that about 65 units had been evaluated for substantial rehabilitation payments under the opportunity‑zone policy since 2021.

Councilmembers and public commenters urged the city to consider a single, standardized citywide relocation assistance policy and supplemental payments targeted to vulnerable groups such as older adults and people with disabilities. Councilmember comments repeatedly stressed the need to weigh benefits against city resource constraints and to engage property‑owner stakeholders in advance so changes are not unexpected.

Mediation, habitability and enforcement

Councilmembers asked about mediation timelines and whether district attorney capacity had affected program enforcement; staff said they had not identified DA capacity constraints. Several members and public commenters raised landlord retaliation and habitability concerns as barriers to tenants seeking help. Staff said the city is proud of its periodic housing inspection program and suggested exploring stronger habitability enforcement, clearer regulation of utility cost pass‑throughs and improved translation/access (Spanish language materials) for notices.

Regional incentives and funding ties

Staff flagged the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Transit‑Oriented Communities (TOC) policy, which includes tenant protections and relocation standards among evaluation buckets that may affect discretionary funding beginning in 2026. Staff recommended the council consider TOC standards if it revises local tenant protection measures.

Public comment and stakeholder feedback

Several nonprofit and legal service speakers urged urgency. Gina Gilnet of Community Action Learning said the community is "being impacted" now and urged the city to move policies to action while continuing to learn. Ethan Stroll of Legal Aid of Marin told the council his office has seen "over a 50% increase in court evictions" comparing the two years before the pandemic with the past two years and said many tenants seeking assistance lack legal remedies under current state and local law.

Next steps

Staff walked councilmembers through recommendations listed in the agenda packet (noted as page 6 in the presentation) and suggested follow‑up work with appropriate subcommittees to evaluate implementation steps, a possible county rental‑registry pilot, stakeholder engagement on a citywide relocation policy and closer coordination with the Countywide Housing Working Group on TOC technical assistance.

Participants asked staff to return with implementation cost estimates and clearer enforcement workflows tied to a new permitting system that the city plans to deploy.