A landlord group is collecting signatures across Pasadena to place a charter amendment on the ballot that would phase out the city's rent stabilization and eviction protections over the next 12 years.
The group, Pasadena Housing Providers, has hired paid signature gatherers who have been spotted outside grocery stores and knocking on doors, according to Ryan Bell, a tenant member of the Pasadena Rental Housing Board who published a detailed post about the measure on the news site Colorado Boulevard on Monday, July 27.
The petition is active now.
The measure's full title: "Pasadena Fair Housing Charter Amendment – Repeal and Replace Rent Stabilization and Eviction Protections in Pasadena City Charter, and Repeal Ordinance 7417." According to the measure's language, its ultimate goal is to repeal all tenant protections in Article XVIII of the City Charter by the end of 2038.
Article XVIII is Measure H, the rent control law Pasadena voters approved in November 2022 with 53.8% of the vote. It caps annual rent increases at 75% of the local Consumer Price Index for multi-unit properties built before February 1, 1995, and requires landlords to show just cause before ending a tenancy. A state appeals court largely upheld Measure H in December 2025 but struck down provisions requiring relocation assistance on units exempt under state law. The city's Rent Stabilization Department, created in December 2023 to enforce the law, has registered more than 21,900 rental units across 5,478 properties, according to its first annual report released in March 2026.
What the measure would change
Bell, who represents District 6 tenants on the board, wrote that the proposed measure would initially preserve the current rent-increase cap but eliminate rent control entirely after 10 years. He said it would also weaken enforcement, reduce relocation assistance, and repeal protections against landlord harassment and retaliation.
On evictions, Bell wrote that the measure would exempt single-family homes, condominiums, and all units built after 1995 from just-cause protections. Tenants in those units could be evicted with 60 days' notice for no stated reason.
The measure would also restructure the Rental Housing Board. The current board has seven tenant seats and four at-large seats for a total of 11 members. The proposed measure would create a board with equal numbers of tenants and landlords. About 59% of Pasadena households are renters, according to Census data.
Misleading claims reported
Bell said dozens of residents have contacted him reporting that signature gatherers made false or misleading statements about what the measure would do. Among the claims he flagged: that the measure supports rent control, that it would cap rent increases at $118 per year, and that tenants would receive $300 for signing.
"The dollar amount comes from Section 1837 of PHP's measure, which caps certain fees charged to landlords at $118," Bell wrote. "It has nothing to do with limits on rent increases."
Bell noted that offering compensation in exchange for a petition signature is illegal under California law.
How to remove a signature
Residents who signed the petition and wish to withdraw can print a signature-removal form, sign it in ink, and submit it to the Pasadena City Clerk. Digital signatures are not accepted. The form is available through a link in Bell's published piece on Colorado Boulevard.
The Pasadena Ledger sought comment from Pasadena Housing Providers but the group's website did not provide accessible contact information. The number of signatures required to qualify the measure, the collection deadline, and the targeted election date have not been confirmed.
The Pasadena Rental Housing Board's next regular meeting is Thursday, August 6, at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Room 249. The public may also attend via Zoom. The Rent Stabilization Department can be reached at (626) 744-7999 or [email protected].
