Pasadena Rental Board Scraps Tenant Privacy Policy After Landlord Backlash

New rule requires redacted rent increase notices only for potential violations, not all 25,000 annual cases

Apr. 17, 2026 at 1:38pm

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A detailed, photorealistic painting of an apartment building exterior in warm, golden sunlight, with deep shadows accentuating the architectural details, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation about housing policy issues.The Pasadena Rental Housing Board's new policy aims to balance tenant privacy protections with landlord compliance, reflecting the delicate balance of housing regulations in the city.Pasadena Today

After months of landlord protests and concerns over a data breach, the Pasadena Rental Housing Board voted unanimously to scrap a policy requiring landlords to upload copies of every rent increase notice and instead only require redacted notices in cases where staff flag a potential violation.

Why it matters

The policy change aims to address privacy concerns raised by a data breach at the city's rental registry vendor, which exposed sensitive tenant information. The board sought to balance tenant protections with reducing administrative burdens on landlords.

The details

Under the new rule, landlords will only need to provide a redacted copy of a rent increase notice if the data submitted indicates a potentially excessive increase or an increase issued before 12 months have elapsed since the previous one. In all other cases, landlords will simply report rent increases through the existing registry process and attest to the accuracy of the figures.

  • On March 19, 2026, Board Member Emanuel Najera first proposed the 'Option 3' approach that was ultimately adopted.
  • On April 2, 2026, Board Member Ryan Bell presented a competing 'Option 4' proposal, which he later withdrew.
  • The Pasadena Rental Housing Board voted 8-0 to approve the new policy on April 16, 2026.

The players

Pasadena Rental Housing Board

The regulatory body that oversees rental housing policies in Pasadena, California.

Emanuel Najera

A member of the Pasadena Rental Housing Board who first proposed the adopted 'Option 3' approach.

Ryan Bell

A Pasadena Rental Housing Board member who initially proposed an alternative 'Option 4' policy before withdrawing it.

Helen Morales

The Executive Director of the Pasadena Rent Stabilization Department, who presented the policy options to the board.

Emily Wernberg

A Pasadena Rental Housing Board member who expressed strong privacy concerns and supported the adopted 'Option 3' approach.

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What they’re saying

“If we just take the word upload out of this, because that's the trigger for the potential data breach, the department would be within its rights to call the landlord and say, 'Could you please bring us or email us a copy of the rent increase notice so we can compare, please redact the tenant's name?'”

— Ryan Bell, Pasadena Rental Housing Board Member

“The only way to guarantee the safety and security of tenant data is by not collecting it in the first place.”

— Emily Wernberg, Pasadena Rental Housing Board Member

“Privacy is one of my main things. Landlords should be able to send a notice without the tenant's information attached.”

— Emanuel Najera, Pasadena Rental Housing Board Member

What’s next

The Pasadena Rent Stabilization Department will now implement the new policy, only requiring redacted rent increase notices in cases where staff identify potential violations.

The takeaway

This policy change demonstrates the Pasadena Rental Housing Board's responsiveness to landlord concerns about privacy and administrative burdens, while still maintaining oversight to prevent excessive rent increases and protect tenants.