Rental housing providers in San Pablo will not face immediate expansion of eviction restrictions after the City Council on Feb. 2 voted to delay action on a proposed just cause and anti-harassment ordinance.
In a 3–2 vote, the council directed staff to bring the measure back with revisions instead of introducing it for first reading. As drafted, the ordinance would have increased legal exposure for housing providers by imposing day-one just cause provisions, doubling relocation payments and requiring certain units to be re-rented at the prior rent after no-fault evictions.
The proposal would have applied to most rental housing in the city, including single-family homes and newer construction that are currently exempt under state law. It would have exceeded the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 in several key areas, including:
- Applying just cause protections starting on the first day of a tenancy, rather than after 12 months as provided under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019.
- Doubling relocation assistance for certain no-fault evictions to two months’ rent.
- Requiring housing providers to offer displaced tenants the right to return at the same rent if a unit is placed back on the market within one year following a substantial remodel or owner move-in.
- Extending the rules to single-family homes and newer housing that are exempt under state law.
Several housing providers and property managers urged the council to reconsider the proposal, arguing that the right-to-return provision would function as a form of rent control and could discourage investment in rental housing.
Rhovy Lyn Antonio, senior vice president of local public affairs for the California Apartment Association, warned that the right-to-return wording would restrict an owner’s ability to reset rents after significant capital improvements. “This is rent control in disguise,” she said.
Tenant advocates urged the council to strengthen the ordinance rather than delay it, arguing that residents face displacement pressures and harassment.
Mayor Elizabeth Pabon Alvarado said she supports protecting tenants from displacement but expressed concern about unintended impacts on smaller housing providers.
“I support the goal of protecting tenants from displacement and harassment,” she said. “At the same time, we must ensure that our policies are practical, fair and sustainable for all those who provide housing in our city, many of whom are not wealthy and are deeply rooted in this community.”
Her motion directed staff to return with revisions that would:
- Consider differentiating between small property owners and larger landlords.
- Reevaluate the day-one just-cause trigger.
- Revisit the right-to-return provision to avoid unintended rent impacts.
Council members Arturo Cruz and Vice Mayor Rita Xavier joined the mayor in supporting the motion. Council members Abel Pineda and Patricia Ponce voted no.
The ordinance will return at a future meeting for further consideration. Until then, state law under the Tenant Protection Act continues to govern eviction standards and relocation assistance in San Pablo.
