Anaheim officials are set to launch a pilot program and dedicated webpage next month, allowing tenants to report illegal rent increases and no-fault evictions. This initiative comes after years of calls for the city to consider implementing its own rent control law, a step only one other city in Orange County has taken.
The primary goal of this intake program is to gather information on how frequently violations of the state’s tenant protections law are occurring in Anaheim. It also aims to provide the city attorney’s office with an opportunity to review individual complaints and determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether intervention is possible. However, the extent to which city officials will intervene in disputes remains uncertain. City Attorney Rob Fabela indicated that the office doesn’t yet know the volume of information the program will gather. He stressed that any civil enforcement would require city approval and likely additional resources to address every violation. "There’s not going to be any promises made about any particular situation," Fabela stated, suggesting that significantly more resources would be needed to address every reported issue, resources not currently being requested. He also clarified that the city's role would not be to represent individual renters as their lawyers, and tenants still have rights to pursue their own legal remedies.
The program’s launch follows recent discussions among elected officials regarding tenant protections. City Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava, who is seeking reelection and made requests for staff to explore enforcing state tenant laws in September 2024 and again early this year, has advocated for this approach. Rubalcava has previously stated that even a city-adopted rent control ordinance might be difficult to enforce, a point she reiterated this week. She views the new program as a "good step forward," arguing that enforcing state rules is a more effective strategy than implementing new city-level tenant protections that might also go unenforced.
This rollout is scheduled just a month before the upcoming November election. It also comes a couple of months after Tenants United Anaheim, a local tenant group, decided to suspend its efforts to gather signatures for a rent control ordinance on the ballot. The group chose not to proceed with their initiative after receiving feedback from residents who felt their proposal did not adequately address the city's needs.
The initiative aligns with recent changes in state law. A state bill adopted in 2023 bolstered California’s Tenant Protection law, empowering local city attorneys to seek injunctive relief in cases of illegal rent raises or illegal no-fault evictions. Despite this, members of Tenants United have described the new program as a "baby step" toward addressing a long-standing issue. During public comment at a recent city council meeting, Lupe Zamron, a volunteer with the group, urged officials to consider a rent control ordinance, citing serious community challenges such as declining student enrollment, school mergers, teacher job losses, and residents being forced to leave Anaheim due to unaffordability. She asked the mayor and city council to reconsider the issue of rent control and a rent freeze to provide relief to Anaheim families.
Conversely, Chip Ahlswede, a spokesman for the Apartment Association of OC, confirmed that the association supports landlords complying with state law. He noted that the state law resulted from a compromise among many groups, contrasting it with the previous rent control initiative pushed by tenants. Ahlswede stated that cities have always had the ability to enforce state tenant protections.
During recent discussions, Councilman Ryan Bailus raised concerns about the program’s development, questioning the extent of staff time and money spent without prior official approval. He noted that the website seemed "pretty well baked" and viewed it as a policy developed without first coming to the city council. Councilwoman Rubalcava, however, countered his assertion. Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, also seeking reelection, suggested augmenting the program by posting resource pamphlets on tenant rights at local libraries. She also recommended adding links to the superior court’s website and contact information for low-cost attorneys to the program’s webpage. Aitken emphasized the need to advocate for the rental community, ensuring they have access to education and know their rights to advocate for themselves.
Anaheim is home to a significant renter population. According to a 2021 report, 55,113 of the city's 100,615 homes are renter-occupied. Census data indicates the median gross rent in Anaheim is $2,175, with a median household income of $95,227. The pilot program is slated to return before the city council by April 2027, no more than six months after its initial launch.
