Pasadena renters displaced by construction could gain new protections under rules the Rental Housing Board will consider Thursday evening.
Staff is recommending the board adopt two sets of requirements: one forcing landlords to give tenants detailed written notice before repair work begins, and another requiring landlords to provide temporary housing when construction makes a unit uninhabitable, according to the board's Nov. 5 agenda packet.
No final regulations are up for a vote. Staff is asking the board to weigh the proposed elements and decide whether to direct staff to return with formal regulatory language at a future meeting.
What landlords would have to tell tenants
Under the staff proposal, landlords would need to provide written notice covering the nature and scope of the construction, the work schedule, and specific dates when services such as water, power, laundry, parking or elevators will be unavailable, Pasadena Now reported.
The notice would also state that construction will not end the tenancy. Tenants would be told they can request measures to reduce noise, dust, vibrations and utility shutoffs.
Landlords would have to list contact information for the property owner, property manager and a designated project manager. The notice would include Pasadena's allowable construction hours, a statement on pet accommodations, and instructions to contact the Pasadena Planning Department about conditions believed unsafe or in violation of city codes. Copies of all notices would go to the Rent Stabilization Department.
Five-mile relocation requirement
When repairs make a unit temporarily uninhabitable, staff recommends landlords provide alternative housing within five miles of the affected unit and within the same jurisdiction. Options include another unit at the same property, a unit the landlord owns elsewhere, a short-term rental or hotel lodging.
Landlords and tenants could agree in writing to a different arrangement, such as housing farther away or a per diem payment instead of alternative accommodations.
How this got here
The proposal follows board discussions on May 21 and Aug. 6. At the August meeting, the board reached general consensus against imposing a mandatory per diem payment and said landlords should instead provide some form of temporary relocation, at minimum an alternative place to stay, according to the staff report.
The rules stem from Measure H, the City Charter amendment Pasadena voters approved on Nov. 8, 2022, which imposed rent control and expanded eviction protections. The charter directs the board to establish regulations ensuring repairs cause the least disruption to tenants. That mandate has not yet been implemented through formal rules.
The staff report distinguishes these proposed regulations from a separate charter provision covering necessary and substantial repairs that make a unit uninhabitable for 30 days or more. Those longer displacements already carry no-fault eviction protections, relocation obligations and a right to return. The rules under consideration would cover shorter displacements or repair situations that fall outside the 30-day threshold.
Staff said the report itself carries no fiscal impact because it seeks board direction rather than final adoption.
How to attend
The board meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, in the Council Chamber at Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave., Room S249. Chair Allison Henry presides. Residents can also join by Zoom at us02web.zoom.us/j/89816590299 or by phone at 1-669-900-6833, meeting ID 898 165 902 99. Written comments received by noon on the day of the meeting will be forwarded to the board before the session begins.
