Mobile Home Rent Control Put on Hold

The City Council has placed a mobile home rent control ordinance, tentatively adopted last month, on hold while it considers a challenge by park owners requesting that the issue be put to the voters.

The council Tuesday was presented with petitions containing more than 1,500 signatures calling for a referendum on rent control. At least 10% or 1,100 valid signatures of the city’s registered voters are needed to put the issue on the ballot.

The council was presented with the petitions by William C. Mecham, director of Western MobileHome Assn., which represents mobile home owners.

The rent control ordinance, which was tentatively adopted in July, was placed in abeyance while the council considers what to do about the referendum demand. State law requires that an ordinance be suspended while being challenged by referendum.

The ordinance would have become effective Aug. 8, or 30 days after tentative adoption. It would regulate rent increases based on the federal Consumer Price Index, allowing them once a year. Disputes would be settled through a meditation board with city personnel participation.

Exemptions Provided

The ordinance would exempt mobile home parks if 67% of the residents vote against rent control. Individual mobile home residents are also exempt if they have leases for more than a 12-month period.

There are 19 mobile home parks in Paramount with an estimated 1,400 homes, according to city officials.

The council is expected to address the issue at its next regularly scheduled council meeting, Sept. 1.

If the necessary signatures qualify the measure for the ballot, the council must rescind the ordinance and place the issue before voters in a citywide special election. It is too late to combine an election with the regularly scheduled municipal Nov. 3 election.

The city clerk or the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder will verify the signatures.