Pasadena landlords have until Oct. 31 to register every residential rental unit in the city and pay $236.54 per unit, or face escalating late fees.
The Rent Stabilization Department opened the 2026 cycle on Sept. 1, the third year of the rental registry created under Measure H, which Pasadena voters approved in November 2022. The department redesigned its online portal this year with a five-step process that lets owners save their progress and return later, according to a city press release.
Early returns suggest the new system is working. Three days into the cycle, registrations had already matched the volume that took three weeks to accumulate in the prior year, Rental Registry Program Manager Sophia Vaughn said at the Sept. 3 Rental Housing Board meeting, Pasadena Now reported.
The stakes are practical. A landlord who has not registered a unit and paid the fee cannot raise rent at all, according to the city's 2026 Annual General Adjustment announcement.
Walk-in help sessions
The department is hosting walk-in assistance sessions at three locations through October:
- Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2–5 p.m. Robinson Park Recreation Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave.
- Monday, Sept. 21, 2–5 p.m. Victory Park Recreation Center, 2575 Paloma St.
- Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2–5 p.m. Robinson Park Recreation Center, 1081 N. Fair Oaks Ave.
Four more sessions follow at the Rent Stabilization Department office, 199 S. Los Robles Ave., according to a separate city workshop notice: Oct. 8 and Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon, Oct. 13 from 2 to 5 p.m., and Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to noon. One-on-one appointments are also available.
Owners attending any session should bring their Rental Registry account login and current property details.
Fees and penalties
The Oct. 31 deadline carries a seven-day grace period through Nov. 7 with no late fees. After that, penalties climb: 15% ($35.48 per unit) for registrations 8 to 45 days late, 30% ($70.96) for 46 to 90 days late, and 50% ($118.27) for 91 or more days late.
The 2025 cycle closed at a 93% completion rate with 26,494 units registered and $6,066,453 collected as of June 30, according to the department's second-quarter report.
The department also switched payment processing from PayPal to Payroc for this cycle, Rental Housing Board Chair Allison Henry said at the Sept. 3 board meeting, Pasadena Now reported. PayPal transaction fees had run about $185,000.
Owners can pay online by credit card or e-check through the portal, in person at the Municipal Services office at 100 N. Garfield Ave., Room N106, or by mail. The department can be reached at (626) 744-7999 or [email protected].
