What is Vacancy Decontrol?

Vacancy decontrol is another term for allowing rent to change at the time of the turnover of the unit.   In other words when an apartment or mobile home has been rented at a specific rate or leased for a specific rate and the tenant or resident vacates the apartment or mobile home space, and a completely new tenant or park resident moves into the unit, the rent is only adjusted upon “turnover”.  This term is frequently used in areas where there is rent control and allows rents to be adjusted to “market rate” when a long term tenant or mobile home owner moves out.  In rent controlled jurisdictions, the new tenant receives the full benefit of the “stabilized” rent while they are occupying the unit, which is typically  below market rate.   The result of vacancy decontrol is a fully protected long term tenant and an owner of the property who is able realize a fair return on the unit once it is vacated.

Chula Vista Asks Mobile Home Owners To Pay Yearly Fee for Rent Control

In June 2012, the City of Chula Vista told its mobile home park residents that they would need to pay a $60 fee each year to the City to help cover the costs of administering the City’s rent control ordinance, which average about $95,000 a year.  .  . According to city officials this cost could fluctuate yearly based on the previous years participation by mobile home owners. Further, according to the City, if the individual mobile home owners opt to not pay the annual fee they will no longer have the right to petition to the City’s rent review commission and will be subject to whatever rent increases are imposed on them.

Other cities throughout the state are also taking a close look at the cost of rent control.  Recently the City of Watsonville passed a law stating that they would be collecting a $5 a month fee ($60 a year) from Mobile Home owners in order to keep the rent control in place.