HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/24/2026 Item 4a, Freeman Godfrey
Kathy Freeman Godfrey <kfreeman@kathyfreemanco.com>
Sent:Tuesday, February 24, 2026
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Note against Rental Registry
Dear Mayor Stewart and City Council,
I am a property owner in Downtown SLo and I am wri?ng against the rental registry.
I care deeply about safe housing, strong neighborhoods, and the long term health of San Luis Obispo’s housing market.
I’d like further detail on why you feel it is necessary to add staff and increase our pension liabili?es around this topic.
Clearly rents are high in SLO but that has a direct correla?on to CAL POLY and doesn’t indicate the need for a rental
registry nor Rent Control which we all know is the next step a?er the registry.
In San Luis Obispo, there are approximately 8,000 or more professionally managed rental units. These proper?es already
operate under strict management standards, exis?ng health and safety laws, and state regula?ons, and they are not an
iden?fied source of systemic problems.
California already has strong statewide tenant protec?ons in place. State law limits annual rent increases for most rental
housing and includes just cause evic?on requirements, crea?ng a comprehensive framework that applies across our
community.
The City a?empted rental inspec?ons years back and it was met with complete outrage by tenants here in SLO.
Other Reasons proven out through other ci?es w/ Rent control include:
Discouraging investment into rental proper?es – thereby leading to a lack of new housing supply
Rent control o?en results in lower housing quality and maintenance spending as landlords may convert proper?es to
owner occupa?on or convert to condos.
City policies should focus on encouraging investment, maintenance, and streamlining the crea?on of more housing,
while using exis?ng tools to address bad actors and safety concerns.
This program is not needed in the community of SLO.
Thank you
Kathy Freeman Godfrey |
963 Broad Street
SLO CA 93401
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