HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/24/2026 Item 4a, Rowley
Sandra Rowley <
To:Stewart, Erica A; Francis, Emily; Marx, Jan; Shoresman, Michelle; Boswell, Mike
Cc:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Item 4a, Rental Housing Registry Study Session
Dear Mayor Stewart and Members of the Council,
If the goal of a Rental Housing Registry is to address tenant concerns that have been expressed about housing conditions
and affordability, request you consider 1) the most efficient, 2) most expeditious, i.e.,fastest, and 3) least expensive
methods available to meet that goal.
The City is currently holding a lot of debt; projects on the books have been held up for years because of a lack of
resources. According to the staff report, it will take years and additional manpower to fully implement a Rental Housing
Registry program. There may be a better way to address these concerns without purchasing new software to create a
new database.
Current Efficiencies
1. Existing rental assistance information may be being underutilized. Publicize the City’s and ask Cal Poly to publicize
theirs.
Cal Poly: https://deanofstudents.calpoly.edu/offcampushousing
City: SLO e-notification: https://mailchi.mp/slocity/slo-renter-protections-aug-14-2024
2. Review and, if necessary, revise the checklist from the previous Rental Inspection Ordinance, request input from
Property Managers regarding revisions; put the finalized checklist on line, include a copy in the next Business License
mailings and send copies to property managers and real estate firms.
3. Publicize the already strong California statewide tenant protections that are in place.
State law limits annual rent increases for most rental housing and includes just-cause eviction requirements. Thus there
is no need to duplicate that information in a local regulation.
Most Expeditious
1. Revise, enhance and update the current Business License/Tax database.
a. Create a Residential Rental License/Tax database by separating out the known residential rental property holders
from the businesses, thus creating the new database.
b. Update the database. An update of this database was previously done by a consultant who identified additional
properties that had not been included, with excellent results; this action could be repeated.
2. Pass an Ordinance to make Residential Rental Licensing/Tax mandatory. Include requirements that all residential
rental properties be listed, that real estate agents and property managers provide the registration form to clients who have
or are purchasing residential rental property, and establish a flat fee for each property. The current Business License/Tax
program is voluntary which limits participation.
3. Send letters to all current Business License holders advising them to list the addresses of all of their residential rental
properties by a specific date.
Least Expensive
1. Revising and updating the current database is far less expensive in both software costs and employee training
time/cost than obtaining a brand new system.
2. Resources to aid potential renters are currently available; they just need to be publicized - and used. If updates are
needed it would still be less costly than creating new resources.
3. Additional time will be needed for data input, but the savings in staff training time should more than compensate.
4. Submissions of lists of residential rental properties by current Business License holders would mean less research
time needed by a consultant and less outlay for his/her services.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my comments.
Sincerely,
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Sandra Rowley
SLO Resident
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