HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/24/2026 Item 4a, Huckabay
Courtney Huckabay <courtneyhuckabayre@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, February 24,
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Rental Registry Study Session 4a
Dear Mayor Stewart and City Council,
I am a local real estate professional writing ahead of Tuesday’s study session regarding the potential
creation of a rental registry.
I care deeply about safe housing, strong neighborhoods, and the long-term health of San Luis Obispo’s
housing market. In my work each day with renters, housing seekers, and housing providers, I see how
policy choices can directly affect housing availability, costs, and the overall stability of our community. I
appreciate the City taking time to study this issue before considering any formal program.
As you consider a rental registry, I respectfully ask the Council to pause and ensure there is clear,
objective data demonstrating that a new program is necessary and that it would meaningfully solve a
defined problem. Advocacy around renter issues is important and those voices deserve to be heard. At
the same time, new regulations should be grounded in evidence, paired with clearly defined outcomes,
and evaluated against existing tools already available to the City.
San Luis Obispo has approximately 8,000 or more professionally managed rental units. These properties
already operate under established management standards, existing health and safety laws, and state
regulations, and they are not an identified source of systemic problems. California also has robust
statewide tenant protections in place, including limits on annual rent increases for most rental housing
and just-cause eviction requirements, creating a comprehensive framework that already applies across
our community.
It is also worth noting that rental registries are relatively uncommon across California. Of the cities that
have adopted registries, most also have rent control or formal rental inspection programs in place. This
suggests registries are typically implemented as part of broader regulatory frameworks, rather than as a
narrowly targeted, stand-alone solution.
Many local rental homes are owned by small, local housing providers who have invested their savings
and retirement into these properties. When additional layers of regulation, fees, and administrative
requirements are introduced, some owners may decide it is no longer feasible to remain in the rental
market. Others may delay maintenance or reinvestment due to rising costs and uncertainty. Over time,
fewer rental homes and reduced reinvestment can contribute to higher rents and less housing
availability, working against the City’s broader housing goals.
City policies should focus on encouraging investment, maintenance, and the creation of more housing,
while using existing enforcement tools to address bad actors and safety concerns.
Before moving forward, I urge the City to:
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Clearly identify the specific problems a registry is intended to solve and how success would be
measured
Evaluate whether existing enforcement tools, education, and outreach could address concerns
without creating new regulatory layers
Fully assess long-term administrative costs, staffing needs, and impacts on housing providers
and renters
We all share the goal of safe, stable housing. I respectfully ask the Council to take a careful, balanced,
and data-driven approach in determining whether a rental registry is truly the right tool for San Luis
Obispo.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
Sincerely,
Courtney Huckabay
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