COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

County Counsel

DATE:

August 5, 2003

BOARD MEETING DATE:

August 12, 2003

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

County Counsel

SUBJECT:

Introduction of a Mobilehome Rent Control Ordinance

Recommendation

1.

Introduce a mobilehome rent control ordinance, and waive reading of the ordinance in its entirety.

2.

Continue the consideration of the ordinance to the Board’s next meeting for final adoption.

Background

At the July 15, 2003 meeting, your Board directed staff to draft a mobilehome rent control ordinance for consideration at your meeting of August 12, 2003.

Discussion

Over the past few years, the Board and County staff have been working on finding ways to preserve affordable housing options for residents of manufactured or mobilehome communities. In October 2001, your Board first considered a draft mobilehome rent control ordinance. The current proposed ordinance differs from that one mainly in the method it provides for calculating the maximum allowable annual rent increase. This ordinance uses the annual increase in the Consumer Price Index as the cap for rent increases. It provides for vacancy control, meaning that the annual limit on rent increases applies even in the case where a new tenant occupies a unit. The ordinance would apply to all eight mobilehome parks within the unincorporated area of the County. However, under state law, certain units which are governed by long term leases are exempt from rent control.

Vision Alignment

The proposed ordinance furthers the County’s efforts to offer a full range of housing choices, and to promote responsive, effective and collaborative government.

Fiscal Impact

The ordinance may have a small unknown General Fund impact due to an increased workload for the Environmental Services Agency in administering hearings, but at least part of the cost would be defrayed by fees required for filing a petition for rent increase.