Anaheim officials are set to launch a pilot program and a dedicated webpage next month, providing a channel for tenants to report illegal rent hikes and no-fault evictions. This initiative comes after years of discussions and calls for the city to become the second in Orange County to implement its own rent control law.
The primary aim of the intake program is to gather information on the frequency of violations concerning California's state tenant protection laws. It will also allow the City Attorney’s office to review submitted complaints and determine on a case-by-case basis whether intervention is possible.
City Attorney Rob Fabela indicated uncertainty regarding the volume of information the program will collect. He clarified that any civil enforcement would require approval from the city and additional resources, stating that the office is not currently seeking such resources. Fabela also stressed that the city's role under this program would not be to represent individual renters as their lawyers, and tenants retain their rights to pursue their own legal remedies for disputes in court.
For the past couple of years, when residents have advocated for rent control in Anaheim, elected officials, including City Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava, have instead asked city staff to investigate the enforcement of existing state renter protection laws. Rubalcava, who is running for reelection, made this request last September and reiterated it at the beginning of this year. She has previously stated that even if the city adopted its own rent control ordinance, enforcement might prove challenging, a point she repeated recently. Rubalcava characterized the new program as "a good step forward," suggesting it is a more effective strategy than implementing a new city tenant protection initiative that might also face enforcement difficulties.
The program’s launch is anticipated about a month before the November election and a couple of months after Tenants United Anaheim, a local group, suspended its efforts to gather signatures for a rent control ballot initiative. The group chose not to continue after receiving feedback from residents who felt their proposal did not go far enough to address the city’s needs. The timing also follows a recently adopted state bill in 2023, which bolstered California’s Tenant Protection law by enabling local city attorneys to seek injunctive relief for illegal rent increases or illegal no-fault evictions.
Members of Tenants United described the new program as a "baby step" on a long-standing issue. At a recent City Council meeting, Lupe Zamron, a volunteer with the group, urged officials to consider a rent control ordinance, highlighting severe community challenges such as declining student enrollment, school mergers, teacher job losses, and residents being forced to move due to unaffordability.
Chip Ahlswede, a spokesman for the Apartment Association of Orange County, affirmed the association's support for landlords complying with state law and expressed belief that cities have always had the ability to enforce it.
Councilman Ryan Bailus voiced concerns that the pilot program was not properly approved by elected officials before its development, questioning the staff time and money invested. Rubalcava contested these claims. Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, also seeking reelection, proposed that the city post resource pamphlets detailing tenant rights at local libraries and add links to the superior court's website and contact information for low-cost attorneys to the program’s webpage. Aitken emphasized the need for the city to advocate for its rental community to ensure they have access to education and knowledge of their rights. The Mayor has recently faced public backlash over reported allegations and has asked residents to consider her record and previous actions.
According to a 2021 report, 55,113 of Anaheim's 100,615 homes are renter-occupied. Census data indicates a median gross rent of $2,175 and a median household income of $95,227 in Anaheim. The program is expected to be reviewed by the City Council by April 2027, within six months of its launch.
