Oxnard tenants say landlords retaliated after rent-cap complaints; city manager pledges legal action

Dozens of tenants told the Oxnard City Council on Jan. 7 that they faced harassment and retaliatory actions after using the city's rent-protections and eviction rules.

The accounts centered on two apartment complexes and a cluster of properties where residents said they had filed complaints under two city ordinances that limit rent increases and regulate evictions. "We are being harassed and retaliated against when we file complaints relating to the ordinances that protect us," resident Jesus Vasquez Luna said through an interpreter, referencing Ordinances 3012 and 3013 passed by the council in May 2022.

Why it matters: Tenants and tenant advocates said the city's consumer-protection ordinances are only effective if renters can use them without fear of intimidation, loss of property or other pressures. Many of the speakers told council members the retaliation included unusually large rent-increase petitions, new storage charges for belongings kept during repairs, eviction or termination notices and apparent changes to apartment numbers that disrupted delivery of important mail.

The council heard multiple detailed accounts during a long public-comment period. Maria Navarro, a policy advocate for CAUSE, summarized three clusters of tenant complaints: mask-group tenants who alleged retaliatory behavior after complaints; tenants who successfully received back rent but later received termination notices; and Marina Vista residents who said they were offered a 37% increase to return to units after 2023 flood repairs. "This is not an isolated case," Navarro said. "It is not uncommon."

Several residents from 541 Cuesta Del Mar and from Marina Vista described identical patterns: they filed complaints with the city's housing or code-enforcement staff, and soon afterward managers or owners asked who filed complaints and took actions the tenants characterized as punitive. "They started asking about the people who filed the complaints, but not to find a solution, but rather to retaliate against us," said Margarita Gomez, a Marina Vista resident.

Council reaction: Council members voiced concern and urged the tenants to preserve records and use available channels. Councilmember Bert Perillo said the claims were serious and asked staff to bring the matter back for follow-up; Mayor Pro Tem Gabe Turan and others urged residents to continue documenting incidents and to contact law enforcement when appropriate.

City response and next steps: City Manager Diego (first name used in meeting) told the council he could not adjudicate individual claims from the dais but described both the limits of the city ordinance and the next steps staff would take. "Our ordinance has baby teeth," he said, describing limits in local enforcement powers for civil matters. He said staff has asked the district attorney's office to evaluate potential unfair-business-practice claims in at least one case and that the DA declined to pursue an unfair-business-practice prosecution in the matter staff presented earlier.

Diego said the city will take further action: "Within my authority I am going to hire an attorney to take on some of these cases," he said. He described the hire as a more aggressive private-attorney approach to pursue unfair-business-practice claims and advised that the city attorney's office cannot represent private residents. Council members asked that staff report back with details about how the city will support tenants who report retaliation.

Related finance news: In the same presentation the city manager noted a separate item of fiscal interest: Standard & Poor's had recently upgraded the city's credit rating, a signal of improved fiscal stability, which he said should help the city on financing and borrowing costs going forward.

What's next: Council members asked staff to return with follow-up steps, and several said they would request the city attorney and the housing department review the specific complaints submitted by the speakers. Tenants were encouraged to provide documentation of alleged retaliation and to pursue both administrative complaints and, if needed, law-enforcement referrals.

Ending: Tenants in the council chambers left the meeting with a commitment from the city manager to pursue outside legal options; how quickly that work begins and whether it brings formal charges or settlements will be matters to watch in coming weeks.