Council introduces updated tenant relocation ordinance, directs stakeholder process on moving-cost limits

The Mountain View City Council introduced revisions to the city's Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance (TRREO) at its Oct. 28 meeting and set a second reading for Dec. 9, 2025, after staff and council members debated new protections for temporarily and permanently displaced tenants and heard extensive public comment.

City staff described the amendments as a set of changes to align local rules with state requirements and to increase protections for displaced households. ‘‘Under SB 330 tenants can remain in their homes until six months before construction begins,’’ Rent Stabilization Manager Amanke Van Dursen told the council, and staff proposed using ‘‘the date of demolition permit issuance’’ as an objective starting point for construction-related timelines. The proposal would move the TRREO from chapter 36 to chapter 46 of the municipal code, codify notice timing that delays a landlord's mandatory ‘‘notice of intent’’ until closer to the vacancy date, add a temporary-displacement category (90 days or less) with defined tenant options, and expand certain benefits for lower-income households.

Why it matters: Councilmembers said the changes respond to community concerns about past demolitions and tenant displacement, while also seeking to preserve the ability for owners to renovate small buildings. ‘‘This is an item we committed to in our Housing Element,’’ Vice Mayor Ramos said when she moved to introduce the ordinance. Council members repeatedly asked staff to balance tenant protections with practical implementation so reinvestment in aging rental stock remains feasible.

Key provisions and discussion points

- Timing and notice: Staff proposed that the date of demolition-permit issuance serve as the objective start of construction and that the city (not the landlord) send…