The Pomona City Council this week voted to adopt a permanent rent control ordinance that will cap annual rent increases at 5%. 

For the past three years, an emergency ordinance in the city has limited rent increases to the rate of inflation with a maximum of 4%. Under the newly approved ordinance, that temporary cap will remain in place until the permanent ordinance takes effect Jan. 1, 2026. 

Earlier this year, the council had initially directed staff to draft a permanent ordinance with a 6% cap. However, following concerns raised by tenant advocates and some council members, the council ultimately voted Monday, June 16, to lower the permanent cap to 5%. The ordinance also includes a provision for the council to review the cap 12 months after it takes effect and consider increasing it to 6%. 

For housing providers, the move to a 5% hard cap marks an improvement over the emergency limits that have capped rents at 4% for nearly three years. 

The outcome reflects changes in the council’s composition following the November 2024 election, when Pomona voters elected Councilwoman Debra Martin and re-elected Councilwoman Elizabeth Ontiveros-Cole. Both candidates, supported by the California Apartment Association, have brought a more business-friendly perspective to the council’s housing policies. 

In addition to rent limits, the ordinance will create a city-run rental registry, with fees to be set by the council in the coming months. Landlords will be required to submit annual information about each covered rental unit. 

The council is also conducting a relocation study that will be used to update relocation assistance requirements for no-fault evictions. Until then, the current relocation rules remain in effect. 

A rental inspection program is expected to follow after the rent stabilization ordinance is implemented. 

CAA will continue working with the council to provide information about the rental housing industry as these new policies are finalized.