Chula Vista City Council Expected to Vote on Overreaching Ordinance on Tuesday, May 17

Legislative Updates,

UPDATE: SCRHA has received word from Chula Vista city staff confirming the tenant ordinance will be on the Tuesday, May 17 agenda. The meeting is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. The agenda and updated draft ordinance will not be available until Friday morning. As soon as it becomes public, SCRHA will send out an Action Alert.

As SCRHA previously reported, the Chula Vista City Council did not vote on the so-called “Landlord and Tenant Ordinance” on May 3 as planned. SCRHA has been told the ordinance will likely be on the May 17 City Council agenda. As soon as confirmation is received, we will send members a link to the agenda and details on how to make your voice heard. 

Please read on to learn how YOU can help!

SCRHA strongly opposes the ordinance, as do many other housing groups. However, the Mayor and some of the councilmembers have indicated they favor the ordinance despite knowing neither side supports the proposal. All versions of the ordinance to date, and there have been many, are still overly restrictive and punish good actors when the motivation behind the ordinance was to go after the bad actors. The ordinance is overly complicated, and most rental housing providers will still find themselves subject to some provisions, even single-family rental owners who will have to proactively give notice to residents or be subject to the entire ordinance. To read the most recent draft ordinance available to the public, click here. To read previous updates on the issue, visit the SCRHA Blog.

Here's how you can help and make your voice heard:

1. Attend the council hearing and speak in opposition: This is crucial. Renters and their advocates will show up. We need to balance out the room. The meeting will be held at Chula Vista City Hall, Council Chambers. We will provide more details once the meeting is confirmed.

2. Submit eComment: These messages become part of the record. They are submitted via the comment feature within the agenda and are viewable by the public. More details will be provided when the agenda is published. 

3. Take Action via SCRHA Advocacy Center: SCRHA has made sending an email to elected leaders as simple as possible. When SCRHA sends out the Action Alert, you will be able to simply click on "Take Action" to send a customizable email to the Mayor and Councilmembers. 

4. Call or email the Mayor and Councilmembers: Whichever method you choose, make sure you let the Mayor and Councilmembers know you want to register your opposition to the " Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance."

Mayor Mary Casillas Salas - 619-691-5044 / msalas@chulavistaca.gov

Councilmember John McCann - 619-691-5044 / jmccann@chulavistaca.gov 

Councilmember Jill Galvez - 619-691-5177 / jmgalvez@chulavistaca.gov 

Councilmember Stephen Padilla - 619-691-5044 / spadilla@chulavistaca.gov 

Councilmember Andrea Cardenas - 619-691-5044 / acardenas@chulavistaca.gov  

Click the links below to read recent opinion pieces which provide excellent talking points:

Opinion: Chula Vista's Proposed Rental Rules Would Unfairly Hurt Housing Providers - Times of San Diego

Opinion: Chula Vista should not punish property owners - San Diego Union-Tribune

City should slow down - Star News

Unfair burden placed on landlords - Star News