Pomona’s local rent cap will end on December 31, 2026, unless the City Council funds its continuation. On October 19, the Council is asked to decide whether to continue the current program, add a rental registry or let it expire.
What the city is deciding
The Council has three choices. It may continue the existing ordinance, continue it while starting a rental registry or take no action. The first option would appropriate $273,801 from General Fund reserves for January through June 2027. The registry option would appropriate $355,401 for that period. Staff put the full yearly cost at $578,076, or $632,256 with a registry, all from the General Fund once American Rescue Plan money ends in December 2026. Staff makes no single recommendation.
Where and who it affects
The ordinance applies to rental units that are not exempt. Exemptions include buildings with certificates of occupancy issued after February 1, 1995, and housing certified within the previous 15 years.
Owner occupied homes and duplexes may qualify for exemptions. Single family homes, condominiums and townhomes that can be sold separately are also exempt. Each exemption requires a filed Notice of Exemption. Without that notice, the unit is treated as covered.
What it could mean for your property
If the ordinance continues, a landlord may increase rent only once in 12 months. The increase is limited to $5 for every $100 of the highest monthly rent in the prior 12 months.
The program also includes eviction protections, petitions and relocation assistance from $6,164 to $15,377 for eligible tenants displaced by a no fault eviction. Tenants pay no fee for a Noncompliance Petition. Landlords pay fees for Fair Return and Capital Improvement petitions.
If the ordinance expires, those local rules and processes will no longer apply. State law would continue to apply where applicable, but the staff report says it does not cover every rental property.
Under the registry option, staff would return with an ordinance amendment. The registration rules, exemptions, fees and procedures have not been set.
Questions to ask before you buy or build
- Is the home covered by Ordinance 4359, or has a Notice of Exemption been filed?
- What was the unit’s highest monthly rent during the prior 12 months?
- If a registry is created, what fee and registration rules will apply?
What happens next
The Council is asked to decide at its special meeting on October 19, 2026. Continuing the ordinance requires a resolution identifying and appropriating funding by December 31.