San José Department of Housing - Programs - Rental Rights & Referrals Program

In 1979, San Jose City Council appointed a task force to address rent issues in rental housing. In July 1979, the City Council adopted a Rent Stabilization Ordinance for mobilehome parks and apartments and created the Rental Rights and Referrals Program to administer the Ordinance. In 1985, the City Council voted to separate the Rent Stabilization Ordinance into two separate Ordinances:

The Mobilehome Rent Ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 17.22 regulates rent increases on mobilehomes and mobilehome lots.

The Apartment Rent Ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 17.23 covers most tri-plexes and larger buildings built before September 7, 1979. The Ordinance does not cover government subsidized rents, condominiums and transient occupancies. A searchable database can be used to determine whether or not an apartment is under Rent Control. If you are a Renter, please review the Renter's Insurance Brochure to find out how you can protect your personal belongings in case of a disaster.

For more information Rental Rights & Referrals Program by telephone at 408.975.4480 or by e-mail.

Special Reports

Quarterly Reports

Economic Analysis of San Jose's Rent Control

Legal Posting for the Mercury News

Rental Rights & Referrals Program

San Jose Municipal Code 17.23

The Director of Housing has determined that the City of San José is NOT experiencing a Severe Rental Housing Shortage. Based on information for the first quarter of 2008, the San José rental housing market has a 3.4% vacancy rate. The impact of these findings is that, effective June 1st, "no-cause" notices served to tenants living in rent-controlled properties will be 90-day notices, or 60-day notices including an offer to arbitrate for those tenants who have lived in the unit for more than one year.