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Oxnard council adopts 'just cause' tenant-protection ordinance after brief debate
Summary
The Oxnard City Council on May 20 adopted Ordinance 3058 amending the municipal code to add just-cause eviction protections and related tenant safeguards, passing 6–1 after council discussion and public comment.
The Oxnard City Council voted 6–1 on May 20 to adopt Ordinance No. 3058, amending sections of the city code to add just-cause eviction protections and other tenant safeguards.
The ordinance changes include additions to Oxnard City Code Chapter 27 to codify just-cause eviction rules and related tenant protections. Council and staff described the measure as a local complement to state law, intended to provide clearer, local remedies for tenants and procedures for landlords.
Council members discussed the ordinance briefly before the vote. Councilmember Bert Perello said he supported the ordinance while reiterating concerns about enforcement and responsibilities that lie with other agencies. Andrew Gonzalez, deputy city attorney, clarified that related items — including a separate anti-harassment ordinance and a rental registry discussed by public callers — were not before the council that night. Gonzales also noted that a prior resolution adopting a rental-registry framework had been passed at an earlier meeting.
Public commenters had varied responses during earlier public comment: callers who identified as property managers and landlord representatives asked the council to pause or narrow possible private cause-of-action language and to confirm the city’s statutory authority for some enforcement mechanisms. Speakers urged alternatives such as mediation and clarified that broad penalties could have unintended impacts on housing supply.
After the council vote, Mayor Louis McArthur announced the ordinance had passed, with Councilmember Aaron Starr the lone dissenting vote. Starr said he opposed raising local liabilities and argued that some enforcement remedies should be restricted to state-level action or put to the voters. Councilmembers who voted in favor said the ordinance addressed gaps and provided protections that tenants and housing advocates had requested.
The ordinance language adopted by council instructs city staff to implement the new code sections and to publish guidance for landlords and tenants on compliance and available services. The city attorney’s office will provide technical support to the Housing Department during implementation.
The council’s action was part of an otherwise broad consent and legislative agenda that included several other routine contract approvals and budget items.
