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Council hears quarterly update on rental registry; residents press for stronger outreach and enforcement
Summary
Staff reported Q1 2026 rental‑registry activity and rent‑stabilization enforcement plans (revenues $754,568; eight petitions filed, seven decisions issued). Residents and councilmembers criticized outreach gaps and urged proactive enforcement and multilingual notices to reach affected tenants.
Orlando Reyes, deputy director for community development, gave the City Council a quarterly update on the rental registry and rent stabilization program covering Jan. 1–Mar. 31, 2026.
Reyes reported the program collected $754,568 in fees in the period (a fee‑supported program intended to be revenue‑neutral), that eight petitions were filed in the quarter and that staff had issued seven decisions with two appeals pending. He described ongoing efforts to expand multilingual outreach (including indigenous languages), improvements to the online portal and a progression of late‑fee enforcement steps that begin with a 45‑day delinquency penalty.
Public commenters and multiple councilmembers expressed frustration that residents at a 204‑unit complex (the Santa Lucía townhomes) had not been directly notified in advance of the TEFRA hearing and urged the city to require more robust, direct community outreach for future ministerial notices affecting tenants. Staff acknowledged the legally required public notice was followed but agreed to do more to notify directly affected residents where practicable.
Councilmembers asked about staffing levels for program administration. Reyes said the department currently has roughly three full‑time positions dedicated to the program and noted that an EPS study presented in late 2024 recommended a minimum of about 3.2 FTE for baseline registration work and higher levels (5.1–13.4) for more extensive services like relocation assistance and mediation. Council discussed whether to expand staffing and whether additional funds should be added in the next budget cycle.
Staff said they will continue outreach with community partners, improve translated materials and return with updates on compliance activity and any recommended staffing changes to ensure better notification and support for tenants.
