Mountain View staff to draft anti-harassment, anti-retaliation tenant protections after RHC study-session

The Mountain View Rental Housing Committee voted informally Thursday to proceed with staff analysis and drafting of potential tenant anti-harassment and anti-retaliation protections for units covered by local rent-stabilization rules.

Staff framed the study session as a chance for the committee to provide direction to staff on “potential local residential tenant protections against harassment and retaliation” and to determine next steps. The committee gave general agreement to the proposed scope of work: further analysis, review of comparable jurisdictions, a follow-up study session, and eventual consideration by the committee for regulatory action.

Why it matters: staff said federal and state protections against harassment and retaliation are limited — federal protections generally cover discrimination based on protected classes and state retaliation law provides narrower remedies — and that local regulations can provide broader definitions, clearer enforcement paths and remedies for tenants who are not covered by discrimination statutes.

Staff presentation: a staff member described examples of landlord behaviors that could constitute harassment or retaliation, including turning off utilities to force a tenant to move, threats or coercion, misrepresenting reasons for eviction and preventing tenants from organizing. Staff told the committee that many California jurisdictions adopt local ordinances by municipal ordinance covering all residential tenants and that such ordinances often set definitions, notice requirements and damage schedules to guide courts.

Committee discussion: members asked how local regulations would interact with existing hearing processes and court remedies. Staff said some harassment claims that amount to a reduction in housing services could be handled through the rent-stabilization hearing process (hearing officers), while other harassment or retaliation claims might require court action and could serve as an affirmative defense in eviction cases. Member comments emphasized tenant safety, clarity of rules to protect both tenants and landlords, and the need to ensure regulations are actionable and enforceable.

Public comment: three speakers addressed the committee. Perna, a resident, described personal experiences she characterized as harassment and poor maintenance at her rental community. Anil Babar, representing the California Apartment Association, urged education about existing state protections before pursuing local legislation and noted low caseload numbers for Project Sentinel in Mountain View. Gladys, a long-time Mountain View resident, said her building experienced prolonged lack of hot water and other conditions; she described vendor misconduct, intimidation and property removal during repair work and urged the committee to act.

Direction to staff: the committee broadly supported staff’s proposed scope: further analysis of other jurisdictions’ ordinances, drafting regulatory language (definitions, prohibited conduct, notice and remedies), and returning with a study session and regulatory draft for committee consideration. Several members stated they preferred the RHC to complete initial drafting and analysis before any possible referral to city council so the committee could use its regulatory authority over units covered by the CSFRA and MHR(O) provisions.

Next steps: staff will review comparable ordinances, draft options for definitions and remedies (including damage schedules and enforcement approaches), and return to the RHC for a follow-up study session. Committee members asked staff to include in the follow-up analysis how regulations might be applied in court and how the city’s existing resources (Housing Help Center, Project Sentinel referrals and community outreach) would be coordinated with any new regulations.

Ending note: committee members expressed unanimous support for moving the item forward as a work plan item; no formal ordinance or regulation was adopted at the meeting.