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Home My WebLink About10/28/2025 Item 5a, Crooks Janice Crooks < To:E-mail Council Website Subject:October 28th Study Session Renter Protections Dear Mayor and Councilmembers, As a local REALTOR and housing professional, I’m writing to share my perspective on the City’s upcoming discussion about renter protections and a potential rental registry. As REALTORS, we are committed to promoting safe, habitable housing in our community. Every day, we work with residents seeking both homeownership and rental opportunities, and we also support those who provide housing through investment properties. For many property owners, rental homes represent a vital part of their retirement plan, while for others, they are the foundation of a small business and livelihood. Past Experience Shows It Does Not Work San Luis Obispo has already tried a rental inspection program, and it was ultimately repealed after proving costly, inefficient, and unpopular with both renters and housing providers. Bringing back a similar program under a new name risks repeating the same mistakes without solving the problem properties. Unnecessary Duplication of Existing Laws California already has strong tenant protections through AB 1482 and state habitability laws. Local Code Enforcement already has the tools to address unsafe housing conditions. Creating a new registry only adds another layer of regulation without addressing the real issue—consistent enforcement of existing laws. Privacy Concerns for Renters and Owners A rental registry would collect personal information about both tenants and property owners, creating unnecessary privacy risks. Even with the best intentions, this data could be mishandled or breached. Protecting personal information should remain a top priority. Costs Will Fall on Renters Any new fees or compliance costs will inevitably be passed down to tenants in the form of higher rents. At a time when affordability is one of the City’s greatest challenges, adding new costs runs directly counter to the goal of keeping housing attainable for our local workforce. Better Alternatives We do not expect that the “bad actors” will voluntarily register, which makes the proposed program ineffective for its intended purpose. Instead, the City could: Use the existing business license requirement, modifying it to require owners to list their rental properties. Establish a rental assistance program to directly help tenants in need rather than adding bureaucracy. In other jurisdictions, rental registries have often been the first step toward rent control policies, which we strongly oppose. Rent control undermines private property rights, discourages investment in housing, and ultimately reduces the supply of available rental homes. Thank you for considering the perspective of those who work on the front lines of housing every day. We share your goal of ensuring safe, quality homes for San Luis Obispo residents, but believe that effective enforcement, education, and partnership will achieve more than additional regulation. Thank you for your service to the City and for your commitment to addressing housing challenges in San Luis Obispo. REALTORS share that same commitment and stand ready to assist the City through education, outreach, and collaboration to ensure safe and attainable housing for all residents. 1 Janice Crooks Broker Associate/REALTOR Comet Realty CA-DRE #01974059 805.704.8089 2