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Santa Monica rent board presents 2025 annual report showing affordability gaps, Ellis Act losses and improved fee collection
Summary
The rent control board's 2025 annual report shows persistent affordability gaps (median rents for recent rentals far above long‑term controlled rents), a net loss of controlled units in 2025 largely driven by one property converting to a licensed residential care facility, expanded monitoring of deed‑restricted units, and progress collecting outstanding registration fees.
Staff presented the Rent Control Board2025 annual report on March 12, highlighting measures the agency took last year to limit the impact of accumulated (banked) rent increases, expand monitoring of deed‑restricted affordable units, and improve registration‑fee compliance.
Public Information Analyst Amelia Platas told the board the agency adopted new regulations limiting the impact of banked rent increases to prevent sudden, large rent hikes and to ease tenant transitions. The report describes a nearly universal share of one‑ and two‑bedroom controlled units (about 82% of the controlled stock), rising median initial rents for newly rented units, and a continuing affordability gap: market‑rate median rents are roughly 140–150% higher than the median rents held by long‑term controlled tenants. Platas said the median rent for units rented in 2025 was $2,995, more than two and a half times the median for a long‑term controlled unit.
The annual report documented that the total number of controlled units declined slightly in 2025 with a net loss of 79 units; staff explained most of that loss reflects one property (Holiday Villa East at Broadway and 17th Street) that became a licensed residential care facility and therefore exited the board27s jurisdiction (a loss of 86 units in city area E). The report also shows Ellis Act activity historically produced a net loss of controlled units since 1986, though a portion of withdrawn units have returned to rent control when properties revert to rental use.
On enforcement and compliance, staff reported that a senior litigation attorney led successful collection efforts that reduced properties with multi‑year registration delinquencies and recovered more than $17,000 from past‑due fees through negotiations, small claims and limited civil cases; the legal department also reported collecting over $117,000 in registration fees overall during 2025. Staff said compliance outreach included mailing owners of deed‑restricted units allowable rent information and monitoring returns; nearly all owners complied with the first‑year monitoring effort.
The hearings department reported steady petition activity: 95 petitions for decreases and 14 for excess rent, with construction‑related decrease petitions up from 27 to 32 in 2025 (almost all filed by market‑rate tenants). Mediation continued to resolve a substantial share of cases: for example, 57% of mediated construction petitions were fully resolved. Staff also noted increased use of the Civics portal and a rise in electronic filings (86% of tenancy registration forms filed online in 2025 versus 78% in 2024).
Board members asked detailed questions about the data, including whether rents were actually falling (staff: no evidence of citywide decreases, only a stabilization in the rate of increases), the Holiday Villa East conversion, and trends in market‑rate versus long‑term controlled units. Staff said they will continue annual monitoring and publish the detailed report appendix with city‑area breakdowns.
