Costa Mesa officials are set to consider a proposal on Tuesday that would create a citywide rental registry program requiring housing providers to report rental data, submit certain notices to the city and pay annual registration fees.

The California Apartment Association opposes the proposal. Victor Cao, senior vice president of local public affairs for CAA, said the plan would add operational and financial burdens while effectively policing housing providers.

According to the city’s agenda report, the proposal is modeled on Santa Ana’s rental registry program, but with the stated goals of enforcing AB 1482, the city’s existing tenant protection ordinance, and enhanced code enforcement. Staff is also asking the City Council for direction on establishing a Network for Renters' Solutions focused on outreach, communication and problem-solving for landlords and renters.

The agenda report says a rental registry would require owners of covered multifamily units to provide information such as property addresses, owner contact information, unit counts, unit types and rental rates through an online portal. Property owners also could be required to submit eviction notices, rent increase notices and vacancy-related information within specified timeframes. Similar rent registry programs have drawn significant privacy concerns when cities have requested landlords collect and handover their tenants’ personal information.

City staff says rental registries can be used to collect market data, monitor compliance with eviction and rent-increase laws, and support code enforcement and inspection activity, which are already widely available with existing market and government data sources. The report also says such programs can increase administrative burdens, raise privacy concerns, add costs and create delays in legal proceedings, but stops short of providing any specifics that CAA has found with similar programs.

The city’s rental registry financial summary estimates the program would cost about $321,335 annually, with roughly $213,350 in startup costs. Based on an estimated 16,700 units, the summary projects a registration fee of about $19 per unit and shows first-year revenue of about $160,668, leaving the city to cover startup costs and reduced initial revenue from other funds. In 2023, the city approved a Tenant Protection Ordinance program at a cost of $300,000 with one-time federal funding without identifying a long-term funding source.

The council is not scheduled to vote on a final ordinance Tuesday. Instead, the March 17 meeting is expected to focus on whether the council wants staff to move forward with the rental registry concept and the related renter-solutions program.

CAA is urging Costa Mesa housing providers to pay close attention to the proposal and make their concerns known before the council gives further direction.