Denisse Rueb, public-information coordinator for the Santa Monica Rent Control Department, and fellow coordinator Antonio Vargas presented a Spanish-language tenant seminar Dec. 4, 2025, explaining how the city's rent-control law works, which units are covered, and recent regulatory limits on large deferred increases.

The seminar began with a brief history: "La ley de control de rentas entró en vigor el 10 de abril de 1979," Rueb said, and the Rent Control Board is a five-member body that meets monthly. Staff directed tenants to the department's online "Look Up Rent" tool to check whether a property is subject to Santa Monica's rent-control regulations.

Antonio Vargas clarified the agency's technical terms: "La renta máxima permitida es básicamente lo que es únicamente paga de renta o del alquiler, entonces esa es nomás la cantidad básica," he said. For tenancies that began before Jan. 1, 1999, MAR (maximum allowable rent) is based on the rent registered from April 1978 plus subsequent approved adjustments. After California's Costa Hawkins changes, Vargas said, owners can set initial rents for new tenancies (post-1999) at market levels and those starting-rent baselines affect future allowable increases.

Staff also reviewed recurring fees and permitted tenant pass-throughs. "Esta cifra cambió este año, antes era 220 y ahora ya subió a 240," Vargas said of the annual per-unit registration fee; because $240 divided by 12 equals $20 per month, the department's rule allowing a 50% pass-through translates to $10 per month for eligible tenants. Tax-based pass-throughs (five specified property-tax items) may be included only when owners present the annual tax invoice to tenants and only for tenancies that qualify under the rules.

On annual adjustments, Vargas explained the "general adjustment" is based on 75% of the change in the Consumer Price Index for Los Angeles and "the adjustment for this year was 2.3 percent" with a local cap of 3 percent. He emphasized a recently added regulation effective Oct. 15, 2025: when general adjustments have been deferred, owners may not apply more than 10 percent in any 12-month period to implement previously-unapplied increases, a change designed to prevent one-time large rent jumps.

Why it matters: the briefing spelled out where tenants can find their MAR, what charges owners may lawfully pass on, the timing and limits on annual increases, and a new protection against sudden, large catch-up raises. Staff repeatedly urged tenants with specific concerns (building sale, manager charges, or abrupt notices) to use the portal, call the Rent Control office, or bring written notices to the department for staff review.

The seminar concluded with an announcement that the Rent Control Board will meet Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers and with staff contact information for follow-up questions.