Housing / Rent Control

634 - Rent Control (General Information)

The Rent Control Charter Amendment was enacted by the City Council on April 10, 1979, and applies to residential rental units including some condominiums and single family homes. The basic principles of the Rent Control Law are to limit circumstances for evictions, encourage maintenance of rental properties, and control monthly rents while providing landlords a fair return. For most apartments, rents are increased by a General Adjustment once a year in September.

The City of Santa Monica 's Rent Control Board office is located in City Hall at 1685 Main Street, Room 202. Information on the rent control law is available by phone Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and at the public counter from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. City Hall is closed every other Friday. On the "open" Fridays, our phone hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and public counter hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours and on weekends, you may leave a message and your call will be returned the following business day.

Rent Control staff can answer questions about the rent control law and specific properties in person or by phone, but cannot provide legal advice. The telephone number for Rent Control is (310) 458-8751. The Rent Control Charter Amendment, regulations, information sheets, and the Maximum Allowable Rents for all registered units may also be found at our website at smgov.net/rentcontrol.

The Rent Control Board  meets once or twice a month on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. The meetings are broadcast on the city's cable TV station, Channel 16. For more information on Rent Control Board meetings, please refer to Message 632.