Thanks largely to a campaign led by the California Apartment Association, voters in the Nov. 6 election overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 10, the statewide ballot measure that would have repealed the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act and brought extreme forms of rent control back to the state.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, 61.7 percent of voters rejected Prop 10, while 38.3 percent voted to approve the measure.

“The stunning margin of victory shows California voters clearly understood the negative impacts Prop 10 would have on the availability of affordable and middle-class housing in our state,” said Tom Bannon, chief executive officer of CAA.

If 1995’s Costa-Hawkins Act had been overturned, California cities and counties would have once again been authorized to impose rent caps on new apartments, as well as single-family homes, individually-owned condos and townhouses.

Prop 10 also would have resurrected vacancy controls, which keeps rents capped between tenancies. Under such policies, landlords would be barred from ever returning rents to market levels.


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