Clearlake council pulls proposed rental‑registration ordinance after objections from realtors, landlords and residents

The Clearlake City Council withdrew consideration of an ordinance amending the municipal code on residential rental registration and inspection after extensive public comment and concerns raised by real estate professionals, landlords and residents.

City Manager Flora summarized the staff report and the ordinance history, saying the city first adopted a rental inspection ordinance in the early 2000s, paused enforcement around 2008, and resumed discussions in 2019. Flora told council that staff had expanded the draft ordinance to add phased implementation, prioritization of initial inspections and a self‑certification pathway after an initial successful inspection. Flora said the city’s software identifies roughly 6,600 suspected rental properties and that implementation would likely be phased over about three years.

Mary Benson, a real estate broker and chair of the Realtors’ task force, told the council the task force had not agreed to the version on the agenda and requested more time. “The staff report says that the realtors are amenable to the changes that were suggested, and none of us ever said that we were amenable,” Benson said, describing outstanding concerns over self‑certification costs, business license requirements, the one‑year duration of self‑certification and inspection standards that she said could make many units fail (for example, window air‑conditioning units and carbon‑monoxide detector placement).

Other speakers — including property managers and long‑time landlords — warned the ordinance as drafted could raise costs for landlords and reduce the rental supply. Real‑estate broker Timothy Choi urged alternatives such as tenant education and said the proposed program could be “expensive, paternalistic, bureaucratic, and full of unintended negative consequences.” Katie Evans, a property manager, said the city’s fee projections looked high and asked who would bear the cost.

Several residents also used public comment to highlight local maintenance problems — potholes, lack of ADA‑accessible park bathrooms, and vegetation near housing they said created a fire risk — and urged the council to address basic infrastructure in parallel with any rental program.

Council members from across the dais said they supported the ordinance’s policy goals but agreed the draft needs more work. Council Member Downey and Council Member Wilson both said the document should return after additional meetings with the Realtors’ committee and other stakeholders. The city manager agreed to withdraw the item so staff can continue discussions. The council reached consensus to pull the item rather than vote on the reading.

Staff emphasized the proposed ordinance contains phased implementation language, inspection checklists, and a voluntary self‑certification route that, if used, would require a certified property manager to submit forms and photos for staff review; councilors and realtors said several technical and fee details still need adjustment.