Here’s how to fix SLO’s broken rental system before it gets worse | Opinion

In her recent article, “SLO is considering more rental protections,” Joan Lynch accurately captures the scale of San Luis Obispo’s housing crisis: the soaring rents, the skyrocketing cost of living and the tentative steps the City Council is considering in response.

But while our community debates political processes and feasibility, tens of thousands of renters are living with the daily consequences of inaction on substantive policy and cultural changes.

It’s time to recenter this conversation on the people most affected, and the public policies and cultural changes needed to make housing in San Luis Obispo safe, fair and dignified.

More than 60% of SLO city residents are renters, and the vast majority of us live in housing that falls outside the protections of California’s Tenant Protection Act (TPA). The vast majority of rental housing in SLO is exempt from the TPA due to a series of loopholes baked into the state law.

The TPA excludes most single-family homes, condos and newer buildings less than 15 years old — categories that make up a large share of SLO’s rental stock. It also doesn’t apply to dorm-style units, certain accessory dwellings or owner-occupied buildings with a few rental units.

That means our neighbors —students, service workers, families and senior citizens — can face eviction without just cause or rent increases of hundreds of dollars a month, simply because our local laws haven’t kept pace with reality. Furthermore, we are leagues behind other communities tackling our shared affordability crisis head-on.

Far too often, renters are paying top dollar for homes that are unsafe or unhealthy. Reports of persistent mold, faulty locks and poor ventilation are commonplace, especially in older, multi-unit complexes. For many, it’s not just about affordability; it’s also about safety and survival.

These conditions aren’t inevitable. They’re the result of a broken housing system, uneven enforcement of the rules on the books, and a culture among some landlords and property managers that prioritizes profit over people. When housing is treated primarily as an investment, it shouldn’t surprise us that basic maintenance, safety and decency often come second.

Tenants Union urges city to adopt 3 reforms

That’s why the San Luis Obispo Tenants Union is urging the City Council to adopt three practical, proven reforms to begin fixing this immoral imbalance of power.

First, establish a mandatory rental registry. We cannot solve what we cannot see. A citywide rental registry — a simple database of rental units, ownership and conditions — would give SLO the data it needs to make informed, targeted policy decisions.

It would also help tenants and city staff hold negligent landlords accountable before problems spiral into crises. Cities like Fresno, Salinas and Monterey have already shown how registries improve transparency without overburdening small property owners. In SLO, the estimated cost would be minimal — roughly the price of a single inspection per year. Yet the return in accountability and safety would be enormous.

Second, modernize our health and safety standards. Too many renters live in unsafe or degrading conditions that go unaddressed because enforcement depends on tenants risking retaliation or eviction by filing complaints. That has to change.

The city must update its housing code to include requiring deadbolts on all exterior doors, mold remediation standards, smoke-free multiunit housing and mandatory safety lighting. These are not radical ideas; they are common-sense protections that already exist in cities across California.

Third, strengthen rent stabilization and just-cause eviction protections. Current state law allows annual rent increases of up to 10%, with numerous caveats, far beyond what most working families can afford. San Luis Obispo should adopt a local cap of no more than 5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower, and ensure that every renter, including those in single-family homes and smaller complexes, is covered by just-cause eviction protections.

Goal is to prevent homelessness — not to punish landlords

Without these reforms, renters will continue to live one monthly rent increase or one eviction notice away from homelessness.

These measures are not about punishing landlords or interfering with the free market. They’re about setting a basic floor of fairness. Most landlords in SLO maintain their properties responsibly. But for those who don’t, our current system offers virtually no consequences, with tenants, taxpayers and our broader community shouldering these costs every day.

The City Council has already begun studying potential solutions, thanks to the diligent work of staff and community advocates, including the SLO Tenants Union and the SLO County Tobacco Control Coalition.

But endless studies and “further consideration” are not enough. Every month of delay means more renters displaced, more unsafe homes, and more people pushed out of our city altogether.

We need to move from mere conversation to commitment. San Luis Obispo prides itself on being a compassionate, forward-thinking city. Now we have a chance to prove it.

By adopting a rental registry, modernizing our health and safety standards and strengthening rent stabilization and eviction protections, we can make SLO a model for housing justice in California, where all working-class people —not just the wealthy few— will live in safety, security, and affordability.

Tyler Coari is a resident of San Luis Obispo and co-founder of the SLO Tenants Union.