Landlord Group Files Ballot Measure to Reshape Pasadena Rent Board

Proposed charter amendment would give property owners and tenants equal seats on the city's Rental Housing Board.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 1:36pm

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A landlord advocacy group called Pasadena Housing Providers has filed a proposed charter amendment with the Pasadena City Clerk that would restructure the city's Rental Housing Board, the panel that regulates rents for most Pasadena residents. The measure would give property owners and tenants equal representation on the board, merge the Rent Stabilization Department into the city's Housing Department, cap rent registration fees, and allow voters to revisit the issue in 2038.

Why it matters

The proposed ballot measure is the latest development in an ongoing debate over the composition and role of Pasadena's Rental Housing Board. Tenant advocates have argued the current board structure, established by 2022's Measure H, appropriately reflects Pasadena's renter-majority population. Landlord groups like Pasadena Housing Providers contend the board is unfairly weighted toward tenants and want a more balanced representation.

The details

Pasadena Housing Providers filed the proposed charter amendment as the first formal step in a multi-stage ballot initiative process under California law. Before signature gathering can begin, the Pasadena City Attorney must prepare an official ballot title and summary. The measure would retain rent control but restructure the board to have an equal number of tenant and property owner representatives, merge the Rent Stabilization Department into the city's Housing Department, cap rent registration fees, and allow voters to revisit the issue in 2038.

  • Pasadena Housing Providers filed the proposed charter amendment with the Pasadena City Clerk on Wednesday, March 12, 2026.
  • The Pasadena City Attorney has 15 days to prepare an official ballot title and impartial summary.

The players

Pasadena Housing Providers

A landlord advocacy group that filed the proposed charter amendment to restructure the Pasadena Rental Housing Board.

Measure H

The 2022 City Charter amendment that established rent control and just cause eviction protections in Pasadena and the current structure of the Rental Housing Board.

Liberty McCoy

A board member with Affordable Pasadena, a tenant advocacy group that has opposed efforts to restructure the Rental Housing Board.

Affordable Pasadena

A tenant advocacy group that has argued the Rental Housing Board already accommodates landlord representation and that Pasadena is a renter-majority city.

Pasadena Tenants Union

A tenant advocacy group that has argued against efforts to restructure the Rental Housing Board.

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What they’re saying

“Property owners have tried to work with City Council and Rent Board members, and been consistently rebuffed.”

— Pasadena Housing Providers (Pasadena Housing Providers press release)

“The real estate lobby has lost at the ballot box and in the courts.”

— Liberty McCoy, Board member, Affordable Pasadena (Pasadenanow.com)

“The Rental Housing Board is the most unfair, discriminatory rent stabilization board that I have ever seen.”

— Justice John Segal (Pasadenanow.com)

“The legislature can do unfair things.”

— Justice John Segal (Pasadenanow.com)

What’s next

The Pasadena City Attorney has 15 days to prepare an official ballot title and impartial summary of the proposed charter amendment. Once that is complete, Pasadena Housing Providers can begin the signature-gathering process to qualify the measure for the ballot.

The takeaway

The proposed ballot measure reflects the ongoing tension between landlord and tenant interests in Pasadena over the composition and role of the city's Rental Housing Board. The outcome could have significant implications for rent control and tenant protections in the city.