Mountain View webinar walks landlords through rent‑stabilization rules, petitions and tenant protections

A Mountain View staff member held a webinar for new landlords and property owners on Mountain View’s Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act (CSFRA), outlining who and what is covered, how annual rent adjustments work, and what owners must do to stay in compliance.

The presenter said most apartment buildings in Mountain View are covered and described the three CSFRA components: limits on yearly rent increases, eviction protections and a process that allows landlords to petition for a fair rate of return. “Most of the apartment buildings in Mountain View are actually covered,” the presenter said, adding that fully covered properties are typically buildings with three or more units built before 1995, while buildings built between 1995 and 2016 are partially covered (eviction protections only).

Why this matters: owners who are not substantially compliant with the CSFRA cannot lawfully raise rents or file upward adjustment petitions, and tenants have protections and petition options if they believe a landlord’s conduct or charges are unlawful.

Key takeaways and rules - Base rent and annual adjustments: The base rent is the rent at move‑in (including any specified utilities or housing services). Landlords may apply an Annual General Adjustment (AGA) once every 12 months, but must provide the required notice to tenants and remain in compliance with CSFRA and city registration requirements. The presenter reiterated the state‑required 30‑day notice for rent increases. - Banked increases and ownership change: Landlords may “bank” missed annual increases and apply them later, subject to a 10% limit per year; a new owner does not inherit a previous owner’s banked increases and starts with a fresh base rent. The presenter said, “If you are a new owner, you do not get to keep the banked rent increases from the previous owner. Those go away, and you are starting fresh.” - Utilities and RUBs: Ratio utility billing systems (RUBs) are not treated as tenant submetering; the presenter said landlords should not use RUBs for tenancies that begin on or after 2024‑03‑01 and described a one‑time utility adjustment petition process for properties converting away from RUBs. - Petitions: Landlords may file a fair‑rate‑of‑return petition if property‑level net operating income (compared to a CSFRA base year and adjusted for CPI) no longer provides the owner’s expected return. Joint petitions — started by a tenant and landlord together — can be used to add services or improvements that increase rent with tenant agreement. Tenants may also petition for downward adjustments where rent was unlawfully collected or services were reduced. - Just cause and termination notices: CSFRA includes nine just‑cause reasons to terminate a tenancy; some tenant‑cause notices require a prior notice to cease. Common notice durations referenced include 3, 30 and 60 days; longer notice periods apply for withdrawals from the rental market. The city must receive a copy of termination notices in certain cases (for relocation assistance triggers). - Habitability and entry: Landlords must provide habitable units (plumbing, heating, secure doors/windows); routine entries require 24‑hour written notice stating date, time and purpose (emergencies excepted). For habitability disputes, tenants can submit evidence (emails, texts, videos) to a hearing officer who will decide whether a rent decrease is justified. - Documentation and dispute prevention: The webinar emphasized move‑in/move‑out walkthroughs with photo or video evidence (now required) and recommended clear lease language for fees, optional services and subletting rules to avoid future disputes.

Recent regulations and state laws The presenter said the rental housing committee earlier this year adopted anti‑retaliation and anti‑harassment regulations that provide examples of prohibited conduct (for example, threats of eviction without a CSFRA reason, coercion, cutting off services) and a process for tenants to log complaints with the city. The webinar also referenced state laws requiring landlords to accept third‑party rent payments with a signed acknowledgment (AB 2219), and discussed rental‑reporting rules and bans on junk fees (webinar referenced 'AB 2747' in the recording).

Participant question and context When a participant asked about requiring documents for parking (vehicle registration, insurance or driver’s license), the presenter said there are no specific local rules for parking addenda and recommended clear lease language or an addendum to document requirements for a parking spot.

City resources and next steps The city’s rental registration portal and landlord help center are the central resources for registration, notices and petitions; the presenter noted the 2026 rental housing fee of $130 per unit and directed attendees to mountainview.gov/housinghelpclinics for help, upcoming workshops and the landlord help center hours. She also said staff will circulate the webinar PowerPoint, CPI chart used for rent adjustments and the recording after the session.

The city staff member closed by encouraging owners with specific questions to contact the landlord help center or attend upcoming workshops on lawful rent increases and eviction‑protection compliance.