Camarillo council sends draft mobile-home rent-stabilization ordinance back to ad hoc committee after heated debate

Camarillo city leaders on March 25 debated a proposed mobile-home land rent-stabilization ordinance that would limit annual space-rent increases and create a process for owners to request higher increases for capital projects, then directed staff to send the draft back to the ad hoc committee for further work.

The ordinance, as presented by Senior Planner James Bauer, would replace a 180-day temporary moratorium expiring April 20, 2026, with a permanent chapter in the municipal code that allows ministerial annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) — with a 2% floor and a 6% cap — while permitting additional documented increases for capital improvements, replacements and a separate "fair rate of return" mechanism requiring documentation and notice. The draft also includes a 6% vacancy decontrol cap and a petition-review process requiring 50% plus one of affected homeowners to trigger arbitration review.

Bauer told council members the ad hoc committee and staff looked at regional comparables, move-in rents and park owner feedback, and that the city had refreshed rent data since the temporary moratorium was adopted. "We pulled average park land rent data and…