The Oxnard Urgency Ordinance’s rent control protections (“Oxnard Rent Control”) protect tenants by limiting rent increases to reasonable accounts annually.  For most Oxnard tenants in covered units, the landlord may not increase the rent by an amount of more than four percent (4%).  California Rent Control may protect Oxnard tenants not covered by Oxnard Rent Control or the Oxnard Rent Ordinance.  Click here to learn about the tenant rights provided by California Rent Control (AB 1482).

Am I Covered Under Oxnard Rent Control?

Oxnard Rent Control covers Oxnard tenants in all units within the City of Oxnard, except:

  • Units with a certificate of occupancy issued after February 1, 1995;
  • Oxnard Tenants in affordable housing;
  • Dorms constructed & maintained by a school or university;
  • Oxnard Tenants whose rent is subject to rent control set by a public entity;
  • Oxnard Tenants on property that is alienable & separate from any other dwelling where the landlord is not a reals estate investment trust, corporation, or limited liability company and the landlord properly exempts the rental unit from Oxnard Rent Control;
  • Oxnard Tenants in a duplex where the owner lives in one of the units at the beginning and at termination;
  • Oxnard Tenants in units subject to the Oxnard Mobile Home Park Rent Stabilization System;
  • Units in a hotel, motel, inn, tourist home, or room and boarding home rented to transient guests for less than thirty (30) days;
  • Units in an institutional facility, such as a hospital, group home for seniors or the disabled, or fraternity or sorority houses affiliated with colleges and universities; and,
  • Units where the Oxnard tenant shares with the landlord, or their immediate family, as their principal place of residence at the beginning of the tenancy so long as the landlord or their immediate family member continues the occupancy.

What is the Maximum Rent Increase Permitted Under Oxnard Rent Control? 

For most Oxnard tenants in covered units, the landlord may not increase the rent by more than four percent (4%).

If I Am Covered Under Oxnard Rent Control, Can My Landlord Serve Multiple Rent Increases Per Year?

No, landlords may only serve one rent increase in twelve months where the Oxnard tenant is covered under Oxnard Rent Control.

Does Oxnard Rent Control Limit the Initial Rent Set for New Tenancies?

No, Oxnard Rent Control does not limit the initial rent landlords may charge Oxnard tenants at the inception of their tenancies.  Landlords may set initial rent without restriction when beginning a new tenancy in a formerly vacant unit.  However, Oxnard Rent Control applies to Oxnard tenants in covered units after the landlord sets the rent and the tenancy begins.

If I Am Covered Under Oxnard Rent Control, Can My Landlord Increase the Rent if My Unit is Uninhabitable

Oxnard tenants in units covered under Oxnard Rent Control are protected from rent increases when facing uninhabitable conditions.  Specifically, Oxnard Rent Control forbids rent increases to such units where the landlord fails to maintain or repair habitability issues in violation of California Civil Code sections 1941.1 and California Health and Safety Code sections 17920.3 and 17920.10, or fails to make repairs to the unit as ordered by the City or a Court.  Oxnard tenants facing rent increases despite living in uninhabitable conditions may petition City of Oxnard to invalidate the unlawful rent increase and obtain the return of any unlawfully collected rent.

If I am Covered Under Oxnard Rent Control, Can I Lower My Rent for Uninhabitable Conditions or Other Decreases in My Housing Services?

Yes, Oxnard tenants living in units covered under Oxnard Rent Control may petition the City of Oxnard to lower their rent when living in uninhabitable conditions or suffering some other loss of service, such as the loss of use of their garage space.  If the tenant is successful, the City of Oxnard will order the landlord to decrease the Oxnard tenant’s rent until the landlord rectifies the repair issues or restores the decreased or lost housing service.

If I Am Covered Under Oxnard Rent Control, Can My Landlord Increase the Rent if They Do Not Comply With Oxnard Rent Control?

No, where a landlord fails to substantially comply with all provisions of Oxnard Rent Control, including failing to provide all necessary notices, they may not increase the rent.  Oxnard tenants facing rent increases despite the landlord’s failure to comply with Oxnard Rent Control may petition City of Oxnard to invalidate the unlawful rent increase and obtain the return of any unlawfully collected rent.

What Notices Must My Landlord Provide Under Oxnard Rent Control?

Oxnard Rent Control requires landlords to provide Oxnard tenants with the following notices on or before the Oxnard tenant’s move-in date:

  • Notice of the existence and scope of Oxnard Rent Control; and,
  • Notice of the tenant’s right to respond to any Fair Return Petition the landlord may file with the City of Oxnard.

Oxnard Rent Controls requires landlords to provide Oxnard tenants with the following notices when serving rent increase notices on Oxnard tenants:

  • Notice of the existence and scope of Oxnard Rent Control; and,
  • Notice of the Oxnard tenants’ right to respond to any Fair Return Petition the landlord may file with the City of Oxnard.

No rent increase may take effect if a landlord fails to comply with these notice requirements.

The landlord must serve the notices in the language used in the written lease agreement between the landlord and Oxnard tenant.  Where no written lease exists, the landlord must provide the notices in the language that the landlord and Oxnard tenant used to negotiate the tenancy terms.

How Long Does Oxnard Rent Control Remain Effective?

Oxnard Rent Control is set to expire on December 31, 2030.

My Landlord Violated Oxnard Rent Control, Do I have a Claim?

Yes, you may have a claim for unlawful rent increase or wrongful eviction, which could entitle you to money damages, including damages three times the amount of the unlawful rent increase, to the extent it exceeds the amount of a lawful rent increase.  Oxnard tenants that prevail in a lawsuit may also recover their attorney fees.

Unscrupulous Oxnard landlords often increase rent to an amount in violation of Oxnard Rent Control, or in lieu of performing an Oxnard Ellis Act eviction, or Oxnard Owner Move-In or Relative Move-In eviction.  Contact Astanehe Law to discuss the Oxnard Rent Ordinance, Oxnard Rent Control, or California Rent Control (AB 1482) with a tenant attorney today.