The rent registry fee for Santa Barbara’s proposed Rent Stabilization Ordinance has stipulations that show how insincere the regulations are. The proposal is extreme enough to challenge the constitutionality that these regulations will not impede the owners’ right to a fair gain on their investments.
There are examples of “Rules for me, but not for thee.”
The rent registry fees and any subsequent fines from the Registry Board, or other penalties are treated as such:
90.110 C Any required but unpaid rental registry fee and any penalty imposed by the provisions of this Section shall be deemed a debt to the City.
26.90.120 B The City Attorney shall seek recovery of costs, expenses, and attorney’s fees as allowed by law.
Within the proposal is the provision that 50 percent of the registry costs can be passed on to the tenant. But note the terms for the landowner:
26.90.100 D [T]he amount must be separately itemized and shall not be considered part of the rent in calculating any rent Increase. Any pass-through unpaid by a tenant upon termination of a tenancy shall be absorbed by the landlord and not assessed to the tenant.
The added cost is not considered rent, cannot cause an unlawful detainer if not paid or be collected legally after the tenant moves away. These provisions show the true intent of the stabilization board and the unfair and unconstitutional approach intended for the property investors.
