The Santa Barbara City Council voted this week to begin developing a work plan for a potential rent stabilization ordinance, signaling growing momentum toward addressing housing affordability, but without committing to rent caps just yet.
The council directed staff to outline how such a program could be structured and administered, including a timeline and opportunities for public input. Staff is expected to return before the end of the year with a roadmap. A formal ordinance is unlikely to reach the council for debate until 2026.
The proposed program would not immediately regulate rents. Instead, it would establish a framework for future discussions about limits on rent increases and tenant protections.
Several property owners and real estate agents expressed opposition during public comment, arguing that rent stabilization could make housing supply problems worse.
“When landlords can't cover rising costs, like insurance, maintenance, and taxes, they sell or convert their properties—shrinking our housing supply, the opposite of what we need,” said Tyler Miers, a local real estate agent.
Another speaker, property owner Reyne Stapelmann, said rent control policies don’t address the underlying issue.
“Rent control doesn't address the core issue, not enough housing supply,” she said. “It may help a small group of tenants in the short term, but it drives investment away.”
Supporters of the effort say the program is an important first step toward stabilizing housing costs for renters in one of the most expensive markets in the state.
