HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/24/2026 Item 4a, Ferrario
STEVEN FERRARIO <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Fw:
Dear Mayor Stewart and City Council,
My name is Steve Ferrario & I have been a Realtor in our community for more
than 37 years and today my message is simple, I oppose the 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. Every day I work with clients,
investors & tenants.
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 ensu
re there is clear & objective data demonstrating that a new
program is truly necessary and that if implemented would
solve a defined problem.
I understand there is strong advocacy and pressure around renter issues, and
those voices deserve to be heard. At the same time, new regulations should be
grounded in clear evidence and a demonstrated need.
California already has strong statewide tenant protections in place. State law lim
its annual rent increases
for most rental housing and includes just cause eviction requirements, creating a
comprehensive
framework that applies across our community.
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**It is also important to note that rental registries are relatively uncommon acro
ss California. California is
comprised of 483 Cities and towns.
35 cities have adopted rental registries; 31 of those cities have already
IMPLEMENTED RENT CONTROL or FORMAL INSPECTION PROGRAMS.
This suggests registries are typically implemented as part of a broader
regulatory framework and a first step to rent control.
Before moving forward, I urge the City to:
*Clearly identify the specific problems a registry is intended to solve and how suc
cess would be measured. Please also be TRANSPARENT if this rental registry is
intended to be the framework towards our city being governed by Rent
Control.
*Evaluate whether existing enforcement tools such as the
City business license program which could simply & cost effectively be upgraded
to accomplish everything a registry is aiming to do) and in the process, not add
another regulatory layer & save hundreds of thousands in additional costs which
will be levied on property owners who will simply pass the costs on to their
tenants.
We all share the goal of safe and stable housing. Please take a careful & balanced
approach as you consider adopting a program that is N ot needed while being
aware of the unintended consequences in doing so.
Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.
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