In a major win for the rental housing industry, the San Pablo City Council on June 1 preliminarily approved the repeal of the city’s rent registry program.

In a 4-1 vote, Mayor Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado, Vice Mayor Rita Xavier, and Councilmembers Arturo Cruz and Patricia Ponce voted in favor of the repeal, while Councilmember Abel Pineda cast the lone dissenting vote.

The decision followed advocacy by the California Apartment Association and local housing community, who urged the council to recognize the growing cost of local mandates on the people who own, operate and maintain rental homes.

CAA supported the repeal, emphasizing that rent registry programs impose fees, paperwork and compliance burdens without creating new housing or solving the region’s affordability challenges.

While the council plans to redirect similar fees toward a rent review program, the repeal remains a significant policy shift. It shows that local governments can revisit rental housing regulations when programs fail to provide meaningful value or place unnecessary costs on housing providers. San Pablo is the latest Bay Area city to reconsider costly rental housing regulations.

The ordinance is expected to return for a second reading later this month. Final adoption would require a majority vote at that time.

Jennifer Rizzo, CAA’s vice president of local public affairs, said the San Pablo vote sends an important message across the region.

“At a time when some cities continue to pursue expanded regulation, San Pablo chose to step back and ask whether its rent registry program was delivering meaningful value to residents and whether the costs imposed on housing providers were justified by the results,” she said. “The council’s decision reflects a willingness to evaluate housing policies based on outcomes rather than assumptions.”

The action also comes as outside groups continue to push for rent control in San Pablo. CAA will continue to track that effort and keep members informed.

Please contact Jennifer Rizzo at <a href=”mailto:jrizzo@caanet.org”>jrizzo@caanet.org</a> if you have any questions.