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Avalon council directs staff to draft tenant-protection ordinance with 8% inflation cap and two months relocation
Summary
The council asked staff to draft a tenant-protection ordinance that would cap annual rent increases below the state maximum (proposing a cap that limits the inflation component to 8%) and require at least two months' relocation assistance for no‑fault displacement; council also discussed a rent registry and anti‑harassment protections.
The Avalon City Council directed staff to draft an ordinance offering tenant protections that go beyond current state limits, including a local cap on the inflation component of annual rent increases and minimum relocation benefits for no‑fault displacement.
City Attorney Campbell summarized the state rule that governs most rental increases: "the maximum that a landlord may increase a rent for an apartment ... is 5% a year plus the amount of inflation but at maximum 10." Council members debated options including narrower caps (examples of 3%–5% were discussed), a rent registry, and a private‑right‑of‑action style anti‑harassment provision modeled on Los Angeles.
After extended discussion about enforcement burdens and housing supply effects, council members indicated they wanted staff to prepare a draft ordinance that would keep the 5% base but cap the inflation add‑on so the combined maximum would not exceed a figure tied to an 8% inflation cap (i.e., 5% plus inflation with inflation capped at 8%). Council also expressed support for a relocation benefit of two months' rent plus moving costs for no‑fault displacements; members asked staff to investigate practical cost estimates for off‑island moves and possible ways to document and enforce the benefit.
Council said it wants clearly visible tenant‑protection language in any ordinance, including an anti‑harassment provision to prohibit actions such as withholding repairs, threatening disclosure of a tenant's immigration status, or refusing to accept rent in bad faith. The city manager and city attorney noted a rent‑registration requirement can increase staff workload and that fees must reflect actual administrative cost.
Next steps: staff will prepare a draft ordinance reflecting council direction — including the 8% cap on the inflation component and two months relocation assistance plus moving‑cost considerations — and return it for public hearings and further council action.
