HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/24/2026 Item 4a, Meredith
A Meredith <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Rental Registry Study Session 4a
Dear Mayor Stewart and City Council,
I am a local real estate professional, property owner in SLO, and business owner in SLO. I also have adult
children that rent a property in SLO from another property owner and they pay their own share in high
rents, so I get it. Before doing a registry I would like to say that SLO is already a really tough market for an
investment property owner. The taxes alone make it somewhat unaffordable due to the rising home
values. I purchased a property in 2023 and it was in very bad shape. I have been reassessed every year
at a higher value despite the fact that my property is not even comparable to the comps the
assessors office is using and I know because I have provided my own comps to them. I continue to
update my property at great expense and I occupy it for my own business, but if I were to try to rent it I
would never get close to the cost it costs to operate it. With that being said, having additional
restrictions and costs for a homeowner or property owner in SLO puts a terrible burden on the property
owner. Contrary to popular belief property owners aren't rolling in the dough with the increased costs of
insurance, repairs, building expenses, permit fees for upgrades, rising taxes, rising mortgage rates, and
rising utility costs.
I am writing regarding Tuesday’s study session on a potential rental registry. I support safe housing and
appreciate the City studying this carefully. Before moving forward, please identify the specific problems
a registry would solve, evaluate whether existing enforcement and education tools could address
concerns, and assess long term administrative costs. Let’s take a balanced, data driven approach to
ensure this is the right solution for our community. I would like to add that it is also important to look at
the problems other county's with registries have experienced. Because once you add something it is
often hard to undo it even when it's not working.
Thank you for your consideration.
Amy Meredith
Broker/Associate Coldwell Banker Realty
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