At the weekly tenant help desk with the Santa Barbara Tenants Union, we repeatedly hear the same questions: “What can I do about my unsafe apartment?” “My landlord is threatening eviction — who can help?” “Why did my rent suddenly increase hundreds of dollars?”
Currently, tenants have almost nowhere to turn. Code enforcement handles habitability issues only when building codes are violated — not when tenants’ rights are. The city attorney or Legal Aid might help with evictions, but most people are turned away. If you can’t afford a lawyer, you’re on your own. One tenant came to SBTU about outrageous “RUBS” utility charges — his bill doubled overnight because the landlord lumped everyone’s utilities together. He tried the city attorney, City Council, and finally gave up. When he lived in Los Angeles, he could’ve reported that to the rent board.
A rent board is the missing piece. It’s where tenants can report illegal behavior — unsafe conditions, bogus evictions, unlawful rent hikes — and actually see enforcement. Rent boards ensure compliance, collect data, and resolve disputes without forcing renters into court. They’re funded by modest annual fees on landlords, typically $50–$250 per unit.
As a Goleta renter, I believe a rent board is urgently needed for my Santa Barbara neighbors and hope Goleta adopts similar protections. Santa Barbara is 60 percent renters, yet we lack the basic oversight renters in dozens of California cities already have. If you want real enforcement, you need a rent board — and that means passing rent stabilization. Learn more at sbtu.org/stabilize.
