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The city council is seeking comment on proposed amendments to the city’s rent stabilization ordinance, according to an announcement on the city website.

The public comment period ends on Monday, Nov. 22 at 10 am for online submissions, which can be made here. The next council meeting is Nov. 23, where in-person statements can be made during the public participation section.

This public comment period is informal. For amendments to be enacted, the council must first vote to introduce the amendments. A public hearing is then scheduled, after which final action by the council can be taken on the amendments.

Among the proposed amendments is eliminating the use of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of inflation, to cap annual rent increases. Instead, increases in rents would be capped at 3.5 percent annually.

Also proposed is including more multiple dwelling units. The current rent stabilization ordinance covers rental properties of five or more units. The amendments would reduce that to cover properties of three or more units.

Various new provisions involving the operation of the Rent Leveling Board and the hiring of staff are proposed.

The council adopted the rent stabilization ordinance early this year in response to another rent stabilization proposal that was put on the ballot for voters to approve by a citizen petition. That referendum was defeated in April, and the Council’s ordinance remained in effect.

Click here for the proposed amended ordinance. All changes are in red. Language being removed is crossed out, language added is underlined.

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